Gentle Warrior
by Teage Dunsten
Summary: Kakarot a lowclass Sayian who doesn't like to fight catches the interest of the Prince, he's forced to train with him for years, developing a strange relationship which progresses in even stranger ways. When Frieza decides to destroy the planet Kakarot and the Prince eascape to Earth where they must stay hidden and train to avenge their race and kill Frieza. AU
1. Chapter 1 Blitz wave surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z nor any of the character found within the story.**

Gentle Warrior.

Chapter 1.

The instructor glared down at the Sayian boy. The low class was disgraceful, even for a low class. Even his tail disgraced him by hanging between his legs in shame. A bright purple bruise was blooming rapidly to life on one cheek bone even as his eye started to swell closed and bruise as well. Black eyes looked down shamefully. His tiny frame shook slightly as he sniffled and tried to stop his tears. The instructor sneered in disgust before touching the side of his scouter.

"Bardock! Your presence is requested, yet again, in the low class training centre."

"Kakarot?" came the weary static reply.

"Who else?"

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done checking in. I just got back from my mission." Bardock replied sharply before ending the transmission.

"You! Sit over there where I can't see you any more you pathetic piece of low class trash." The instructor barked at the sniffling boy in front of him.

He nodded pathetically and went to sit in the corner he had been directed towards, wincing as the action of lowering himself to the floor caused his possibly broken ribs to sear painfully. It took Bardock exactly fifteen minutes to arrive at the centre. There were no words exchanged as the instructor pointed silently at the sniffling boy in the corner. Bardock sighed and walked over to the boy that looked too much like him to deny relation.

He didn't bother with words of comfort to the clearly distressed Sayian. He simply picked him up the scruff of his training gi and walked out again with a nod at the instructor. Snickers from the remaining low class Sayian children followed Bardock out of the room. He wasn't sure if they were directed at him for being the father of such a disgrace or if they were directed at the object of such embarrassment himself.

He flew through the air towards his small quarters in the third class sector of the vast Sayian Empire. Someday the sniffling sack of bones he held in his hand would have to move to the low class sector but for now he was allowed to live with his father and older brother. This was all assuming he survived the training.

Bardock lowered to the ground and pushed open the unlocked door on to his and his sons' quarters. He dropped the boy onto the carpet in the middle of the front room. The room was bare aside from two couches. There was a door that led to a bathroom, two doors that led to bedrooms and another doorway that led to the small kitchen. There was nothing else. The bedrooms held chest of draws and beds. There was nothing that was not needed. In Bardock's room there was, however one extra piece of furniture that was in almost every Sayian household. It was a small simple table that held tribute to the God of the Moon Artemus **(Greek unisex name meaning of the moon.)**, the god that gave them the ability to transform into the great and powerful Oozaru every eight years.

"Stay right there. I want to go and shower. When I'm done you and I are going to have a talk." Bardock told the pitiful heap on the floor.

Bardock took his time in the shower, trying to sort through what he was going to say to the boy. He couldn't count on both hands and toes the amount of times he had had a talk with his son about the very same subject. He sighed and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He didn't bother with clothes as he went back to the main room, barely noticing the scars that covered his tan skin.

"So." Bardock said looking down at the still sniffling heap at his feet as he used his Ki to slowly dry himself, "What are we going to do about this Kakarot?"

The small boy was barely six years old. His black eyes shone with tears that really wanted to be shed but were not allowed to due to Sayian customs. Sayians did not cry. Period.

"I don't want to fight Daddy." Kakarot said in a very small voice.

It was the first time the boy had ever said as much. Usually he always faithfully promised to try harder and even though Bardock knew he was just pretending, playing the role he was brought up to play, he ignored it and sent the child back to the training centre. Fighting was all a Sayian had, especially when they were a low class. The endearment 'Daddy' had never before crossed the boys lips either. It made Bardock flinch in surprise. What was he going to do now?

"Kakarot." Bardock sighed sinking lower to be level with the child, "You have to fight."

"It's all we Sayians have." Kakarot finished for him looking down at his scuffed training boots.

"Especially you." Bardock said softly.

Kakarot frowned and looked like he was concentrating.

"I like fighting, I do but I don't like the way _he_ teaches it. I mean what was I supposed to do when he made five Sayians jump me at the same time?" Kakarot asked his small frame now shaking with anger, his tail whipping back and forth as well.

"It's called learning how to fight under pressure. Multiple attackers are a fact of war. It's a good skill to have Kakarot." Bardock said patiently, "And what have I told you about your tail?"

Kakarot automatically wrapped the furry appendage around his waist. The door opened and slammed shut. A disgruntled fifteen year old Radditz walked into the room. He looked tired as he should be. He had just come back from the third class training centre. His training was almost complete. He saw his younger brother and scowled in disgust and anger at his beaten and bruised appearance. He walked over to the bathroom and slammed that door as well. Bardock sighed.

"Go to bed Kakarot. You look tired and besides you have to go back tomorrow. You know what will happen if you don't complete your training." Bardock said nudging the boy towards his room that he shared with Radditz.

"Yes I know. A Sayian who can't fight is a worthless Sayian." Kakarot mumbled.

Bardock stood and watched the small boy limp towards the door to his shared room. He only turned away when the door had closed again. He walked to his own room and threw on a training gi. He then walked to the closed bathroom door. He thumped a fist against the door and entered.

Radditz stood in front of the mirror, a towel around his waist. He was busy bandaging a Ki burn on his left side. His long spiky hair was still dripping wet. Bardock had left his scouter on the basin. He reached around the younger Sayian and picked it up, clipping it to his ear.

"He got kicked out again didn't he?" Radditz asked quietly.

"He's allowed to go back." Bardock replied.

"For now." Radditz muttered darkly.

They both knew what happened to 'worthless' Sayians. Execution or banishment. Bardock could only pray that it was banishment for his son.

* * *

><p>"Now remember, you have to fight, even if you don't like it." Bardock said very quietly to the small black haired boy.<p>

Kakarot nodded before walking back into the training centre. Bardock headed to the third class soldier barracks. He wanted to see if he had any assignments. He hoped not because he just knew he was going to be called back again.

"Bardock, I can't believe you sent this worthless piece of shit back in here." The instructor's angry voice said via scouter.

"He has to fight." Bardock replied hovering in mid air.

"Fine but one more incident . . ."

He didn't need to finish. One more incident and the boy would be officially reported. Reported meant trial. Trial meant assessment of worth. Assessment of worth ended in either execution or banishment.

Bardock did not reply but rather flew towards his previous destination. He landed and walked into the building. He checked in with Command and found that he was not scheduled for anything till three days. He went to the third class soldier training room. Everything was categorized to class. The low class Sayians had it hard and someday his son would live that life.

"So Bardock, how's that pathetic little runt of a son of yours doing? I heard he was snivelling like a baby yesterday." One of the Sayians asked loudly as Bardock walked in.

"You're forgetting something." Bardock replied calmly.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"I'm not my son." Bardock replied in a voice the dripped boredom before casually planting his fist in the Sayian's stomach.

"Was that necessary Bardock?" Fasha asked behind him.

"Yes." Bardock replied tonelessly.

He heard her sigh, "So what are you planning to do today?" she asked.

"Wait." Bardock replied in the same tone as before.

"For what?"

"For the instructor to call and tell me to get my and I quote 'worthless piece of shit' when he fails yet again." Bardock replied with just a hint of anger.

"Would you like to spar until then?" Fasha offered quietly.

"Sure, why not?" Bardock replied turning and dropping into his fighting stance.

The two crewmates blazed across the training room as they fought. They were stronger than the average third class but it didn't matter. They had been classified at birth and that is what they stayed.

Bardock stopped mid punch when the transmission came through. He barked that he was on his way before leaving a panting Fasha behind. He himself was not even winded.

When he arrived he was scowling so murderously that the low class Sayians duck away from him. He had a reputation after all.

Kakarot was lying on the floor panting. Bardock looked down at him before scooping him up and dragging him to the other side of the room.

"I thought we had this straightened out." Bardock muttered to the boy.

"I uhm I. . ." Kakarot started.

He appeared to be having difficulty with his statement. Bardock knew that he wasn't going to like what ever came out of the six year olds' mouth if it ever did.

"What happened this time?" Bardock asked to distract him from his statement.

"The third class trainees were asked to fight the low class beginners." Radditz said tonelessly from behind them.

"So what happened with him?" Bardock asked.

If he knew what the problem was then he could eliminate it.

"He didn't even get in one punch. To be honest I don't even think he was trying." Radditz said looking away and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kakarot." Bardock scolded sternly.

"I know! I know! I just don't think it's fair!" The small boy exploded before his eyes widened in shock and he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Fair?" Bardock asked raising a brow.

Kakarot shook his head, his hand still clamped over him mouth as he slowly backed away until he was against the wall.

"What don't you think is fair and you will answer." Bardock said roughly.

"I don't think it's fair to hit someone without a good reason to. I mean here all we're doing is learning how to fight, not kill each other, so since my life is not in danger than I don't think it's fair to hit someone for no reason." Kakarot explained in a tiny voice.

"No reason." Bardock repeated in disbelief.

He looked at his son who seemed perfectly serious and then behind him at the gawking Sayians.

"Ai I knew there was going to be trouble when Radditz dropped him." Bardock muttered pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

There was a horrified gasp and Bardock opened his eyes to see Kakarot looking at his older brother is disbelief.

"Is it true? Did you drop me?" Kakarot asked in a shaky voice that sounded strangely hurt.

"Well, i-i-it wasn't my fault. You kept squirming and kicking and you wouldn't stop crying and I didn't mean it. We hadn't had sleep in ages because you never stopped crying. You just sort of slipped out of my grasp because you were moving around so much. You hardly cried after that and you slept more than cried but I swear it wasn't on purpose." Radditz said quickly trying to defend himself.

"This is all your fault." The little boy yelled angrily before launching himself at his brother.

Radditz did not see nor expected his little brother's kick. Radditz slide across the room, more surprised than hurt. He didn't have enough time to get up before Kakarot was on his chest and pounding his fists down as hard as he could while screaming incoherently. Radditz got over his shock and caught his brother's wrists, stopping the flurry of punches. He spun the boy so that he was pinning him to the floor. Kakarot managed to wiggle his hands free. A look of steely determination dominated his features and he closed a hand into a fist.

Bardock recognised the move. How could he not when he had been trying for years to perfect it, had only done so a few weeks prior. When Kakarot's hand started to glow he started to panic. Was that boy stupid? Without thinking he blasted both boys with enough Ki to make them crispy around the edges. Bardock's panic turned to anger and he stormed forward to pick up the younger Sayian by the scruff of his training gi. He barely realised that the energy and concentration it took to do the technique was beyond what he had thought the young boy capable of.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he demanded.

"I-I-I was j-just t-trying t-t-to beat him." Kakarot replied while trying to keep back his tears of pain and terror.

"Where the hell did you learn how to do that?" Bardock asked softening his voice.

"I couldn't sleep one night so I went to the kitchen and I saw that you were awake so I went to your room but you were busy." Kakarot muttered looking down so that should he lose the battle to keep his tears from falling no one would see.

His tail was also hanging down instead of around his waist. Bardock looked at the pathetic sight and lowered the child to the floor with a weary sigh. He looked over at his older son. He was fine apart from a few smoking patches. He also looked very confused.

"Kakarot, do you realise the seriousness of the technique you were about to use?" Bardock asked.

"Yes. I was going to make a moon so that I could turn into the sacred Oozaru and beat Radditz." Kakarot replied beaming at the fact that he at least knew the answer to this.

"Is the child mad?" The instructor asked.

"No. It's quite possible." Bardock muttered more to himself than the others around him.

"So you know of a technique that emits Blutz waves?" The instructor asked.

Bardock just waved a hand impatiently before turning back to Kakarot.

"You do realise that had you released that technique then every Sayian in the room would have turned as well?" Bardock asked.

"Well it was a chance I was willing to take. When we are the Oozaru we are one. There is no difference. Each one is the same as the other." Kakarot replied.

"I don't want you to use it ever again. Now as for fighting in the centre being unfair, that is an irrational thought." Bardock ordered.

"Why?" Kakarot asked predictably.

"They hit you. Is that fair?" Bardock replied sending the boy into a moment of deep thinking.

"No." he eventually replied, "No it's not."

"So what do you plan to do about it?" Bardock asked daring himself to think that maybe just maybe he was getting somewhere.

"I'm going to stop going to the training centre." Kakarot replied seriously.

Bardock slapped his forehead and groaned something that sounded an awful lot like why me.

"We've already been through this Kakarot. You have to come and you have to fight. So what does that leave you with?" Bardock asked as calmly as he could.

"So then I should hit them back because they hit me first?" Kakarot asked narrowing his eyes in thought.

"That's the idea." Bardock said almost daring to hope.

"Ohkay." Kakarot replied with the unnatural grin that made the Sayians look at him funny.

He scratched the back of his head and said with a laugh, "Now why didn't you just say that the first time around? Here I thought I was being fair."

Bardock shook his head as those around him witnessed the oddity that was his son. He had this all the time so he was sort of used to it. Radditz just shook his head.

"Now go and train like a real Sayian. If you don't win one fight by the end of today you're not getting dinner." Bardock said pointing towards the other Sayian children.

Kakarot gasped in horror and took off like a hurricane towards the other low class Sayian children.

"What is this Blutz wave technique the child was talking about Bardock?" The instructor asked.

"You are a low class. I do not answer to you." Bardock snapped harshly.

He had not wanted this technique out for all the Sayians to use and know about. He supposed that it was too late now. The rumours would start and he would be brought in front of the King and Prince when the rumours reached them. The possibility of the technique would be just too much to resist.

He watched as Kakarot challenged one of the other children. He ground his teeth as Kakarot's tail waved in the air behind him. He looked at the happy friendly smile on the boy's face and thought back to the gesture where he had scratched the back of his head to the reasons he had been doing so poorly in school. The child seemed almost . . . innocent? Absurd for a Sayian even if it was a child. How had he done the technique by merely watching?

As the two Sayians got into a fighting stance Bardock touched the side of his scouter. The children were almost equal. They were both low class Sayians so they should be about the same. Every class had its own brand of training. You could tell what a Sayian was just by looking at the way he fought. Sure, some Sayians tweaked their style a bit but the basics were still there.

A whistle was blown and the two started. Radditz walked over to his father and narrowed his eyes in concentration as he watched the two boys fight.

"It's nothing like before. Their fighting styles aren't even the same. Don't they have the same instructor?" Radditz commented.

"They do but Kakarot isn't fighting like a low class. He's fighting like a . . ." Bardock muttered trailing off.

"He's fighting like you." Radditz finished, "Have you been training him."

"No." Bardock said in shock.

It was against the law to mix the fighting styles on purpose. If a fighter took it upon himself to learn then that was his own incentive. If a Sayian of a higher class trained a Sayian of lower class then the higher class Sayian was stripped down to the lower level. The lower level Sayian did not receive any punishment. It ensured that the higher level Sayians did not get the idea to be stupid.

They watched open mouthed as the small child they had all thought was a hopeless loss kicked the ass of the other Sayian child so thoroughly that the child was knocked unconscious. All of it was done using Bardock's style and a lot of his strategic combinations. He didn't use any sort of low class move what so ever. Would he get into trouble for that? Kakarot walked over to them slightly out of breath. He was smiling again.

"So do I get dinner tonight?" he asked worriedly.

"Only if you tell me where you learned to fight like that?" Bardock replied.

"That wasn't the deal." Kakarot replied with a childish pout, "I learned it from you. When you have to fetch me from the training centre and you have nothing else to do you train. I was watching you because you made me sit against the wall and not move."

"Why do you not use the style you have learned from here?" Radditz asked.

"It's hard to learn when you're always being beaten up. Anyways dad's fighting is strategically better." Kakarot replied as though that were obvious.

"Who are you and what did you do with my pathetic little brother who couldn't pick a fight with snot and win?" Radditz asked.

"You never talk to me so don't say things like that." Kakarot yelled angrily.

Bardock tuned out the sibling fight. This was a new and interesting discovery. Kakarot may have been odd and rather pathetic in general but when his heart was in it he became a brilliant fighter and strategist. Why had he not noticed this before? The child learned things just by watching it.

When the two hadn't stopped arguing Bardock smacked them both upside the head. There were two owws followed by two what was that for.

"March those furry tails back to the house. I'll be right behind you in a minute." Bardock ordered.

The two shuffled to the door grumbling under their breaths.

"Does he still have to be reported?" Bardock asked the instructor.

"No I suppose not after seeing the last battle." The instructor grudgingly admitted.

Bardock nodded and walked out of the centre, taking off into the air and quickly catching up to his sons.


	2. Chapter 2 Snake and the mouse

**Thanks for the awesome reviews. I hope the story continues to stay the way it is and continue to satisfy you.**

Chapter 2.

Bardock watched his sons as they slept. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. One was a determined fighter that stuck to the rules and laws of fighting no matter what. The other was a curios little boy that only fought if he had to and was brilliant at it when he did, a natural.

Bardock sighed when he thought about the class separation and how his youngest son was in for a rude awakening. The six year old Sayian had no idea what it really meant to be a low level Sayian after all he had been raised in third class status. Apparently he even fought like one. He thought about Kakarot's differences and worried. Who would take the boy in if anything happened to him? The life of the army was an unpredictable one and no one knew what would happen one day or the other. All they could really do was fight.

* * *

><p>Kakarot went to the training centre the next day but his old instructor was not there when he got there. He considered going back out but he knew his father was long gone by now. The new trainer looked even worse than the last one.<p>

Kakarot looked around, nervously looping his tail around his waist and tightening it. Ah there was his instructor. He was standing with the other low class children and giving them that day's instructions. Kakarot fiddled with his scouter as he walked towards his group but a hand grabbed his gi.

"So you're the low class brat."

Kakarot didn't say anything. He kept his mouth shut. Wisely so since this particular Sayian was not the chatty type. He was also not a low class Sayian. Kakarot tried to find something that would show any sort of indication but found nothing. To his knowledge it was law to wear an indication sigil so that everyone knew what you were. Kakarot was lifted and taken to another room in another building where there were older Sayians, but still children. They didn't have sigils either.

When he was dropped to the floor Kakarot tried to scramble into a corner but a boot was placed on his back to keep him in place.

"All right. You have all been selected for a new training programme and I unfortunately have to be your teacher." The Sayian barked.

"What kind of programme?" Kakarot found himself asking.

"Developing new fighting techniques to help the Prince. You are actually a lucky brat. Your instructor just happened to point out that you had a knack for strategy and learning. King Vegeta himself gave you a special pass. I'm interested to see what you do." The instructor said with a grin that made the poor Sayian child gulp.

His father had made him swear that he would never use the Blutz wave technique while actually on the planet. He didn't care if the child used it while on another world but the whole of Planet Vegeta suffered enough once every eight years when the moon was full.

Kakarot was allowed to get up and he did so cautiously, expecting an attack at any moment. When none was delivered he walked over to the other children who parted like he had some sort of disease. That's when it hit him, mentally. Elites didn't wear identification. His breathing became harsh as he realised that he was in a room full of Elites. Just one of them was probably five times more powerful than him.

The instructor started to give instructions for that day and half of the things he said made no sense to the poor low class Sayian for two reasons, one, Kakarot had only just started his training when he was five and two, the phrases and names he used were that of the Elite style.

Kakarot was forced to stand back and watch as the other much older children started to complete the instructions. The instructor glanced at him but said nothing. The child's power level was not worth the attention in his opinion. Kakarot was fascinated with their power levels and their fighting styles. He watched avidly and as he watched he learned.

He now knew a little of the low class, third class and Elite class. All three had their advantages and all three had their disadvantages. An idea nudged at the corner of the child's mind and he allowed it to consume his thoughts. He smiled and closed his eyes, piecing together the styles in his mind. He eliminated all the moves that were a disadvantage in his opinion and added the best combination of advantage moves together, forming the first mixed style in over a hundred years.

"Hay pipsqueak, you here to fight or what?" A rough child's voice asked.

Kakarot opened his eyes. He had yet to test out this new style. Could it eliminate the vast difference in power they had? Only one way to find out. He would either win or end up in a rejuvenation tank. He suspected the latter but dropped into his father's fighting stance. The Elite child looked at his stance, assessed the level and grinned in a way that said he already thought he had won this battle. The instructor's attention turned to the new fight that was about to begin. Now he would see just what made this low class so special that he had to be on his training team.

Kakarot cleared his mind and breathed in deeply and slowly. He knew that if he thought about his fighting he would lose. So he went over his possible new technique one last time, making a few adjustments to make up for the lack in strength.

Then before he knew it the Elite child was attacking him at a speed that defied all his expectations. Kakarot didn't panic, he just cleared his mind and allowed his instincts to take over. He was on defence at the moment, too weak to play the offense. He used his new technique.

The similarity of the Elite style confused the child when it was changed rapidly to the low level style. Third class was what he had the most difficulty with. Kakarot realised that there was a major flaw in the separation of the styles, they couldn't really defend against a style they were unfamiliar with. The styles were designed so that the Elites were always better, could always be better. When Kakarot used the Elite style, it was familiar and therefore easy to find holes in but the holes never came because then Kakarot would change to the low level style, a style that no Elite really paid any attention to. He would then up the level to third class because the Elite child would start to believe that he was not as good as he had originally thought.

Every time he changed his style he would change it to the one that was least expected. Kakarot was actually making the Elite Sayian child frustrated causing him to make mistakes. Eventually the Sayian child got so angry that he used brute strength and speed to overpower the six year old low class. Kakarot was thrown against the wall harder than he had ever been before.

"Enough." The instructor said making all the Elite children stand to attention.

They had all been watching the low class Sayian fighting, trying to figure out why he was there. They had hoped that he was just there for target practice but apparently not.

The instructor walked over to Kakarot to see if he was still alive. He was, barely. He also felt some tiny sort of admiration for the Sayian. He had lasted far longer than he had any right to and he had made a style that was possibly better than the Elite style just by watching for a few hours. He understood now why the child was here but not why they had chucked him in so high up. He could barely win a fight with his own class from what he had heard.

Neither instructor nor pupil could know that they had been chosen for a very specific reason. The King had heard the rumours of the Blutz wave technique and he knew that the child would be easier to manipulate than the father. He underestimated Kakarot's obedience to his father however and did not know that since Bardock had forbidden it, Kakarot would never use it.

* * *

><p>Kakarot was taken to the rejuvenation tank by one of the Elite children who sneered down at the unconscious boy the whole way. Privately he was a little scared of the boy. He had never seen anyone fight like this boy had and he didn't want the runt to get any stronger. He was going to have to talk to his team mates. If they didn't damage him then he couldn't build strength. Well upon reflection, the boy would build strength but not as fast as getting beaten into a rejuvenation tank after every session would allow him.<p>

The Elite child stopped outside of the infirmary doors. He himself had never been there in all his years of training. The Elite children hardly ever needed it. When the door opened the medical personal looked up in complete surprise. Kakarot was wordlessly placed on the table and out of curiosity the Elite child stayed to watch him being tended to.

Kakarot's brown low class training gi was stripped from his still form. His tail was carefully unwound from around his waist and threaded back through the hole in his pants. Fingerless white gloves were removed from already too callused hands for one so young and scuffed black boots were tossed to the floor. The only article of clothing that was not thrown into a medical waste bin was his scouter, which was placed next to a new pile of clothes that one of the assisting staff had gotten out. These clothes were unmarked like all Elite clothing and the child thought he might want to point out the fact that the unconscious runt was anything but.

"We know. His file however says that he is on the special programme."

"What are you lot doing in that team because his power level is dangerously low, even for a low class runt?"

"He met a satisfying end with a wall at full force. Well it was satisfying for me anyways." The child answered with a smirk and a shrug.

Kakarot was lifted and then placed in a tank. A mask was secured over his mouth. The Elite child noted that Kakarot's breathing was beyond shallow. This surprised him since he had never had a team mate that had been so badly injured. This was all very new to him. The tank was closed and the liquid started to poor in around the child. A scan was automatically started and a list of his injuries was made as well as recovery estimation time.

"Man you lot really did a number on this one."

The Elite child walked over to a display screen to read the list. He noticed that there was an option labelled 'PAST INJURIES'. He selected it and several silhouette images were displayed showing in red the areas damaged as well as a list underneath each image. The Elite child had never even heard of one so young sustaining so many injuries. He hadn't even thought it possible. The most noticeable injury Kakarot had was head trauma when he was only a few days old.

"Many of the low class children's records look like that." One of the medical assistants told him, "This one however is particularly long. See this injury here? It took a week to heal and it was given to him by his own instructor."

"Yeah, you Elite kids don't know how good you've got it till it's gone."

"Why?" the Elite child asked still studying the records unconsciously taking note of weak spots.

"Why what?"

"Why are they treated like that?" The question was asked out of lack of understanding and not concern.

"Too little time to explain. You should return to your training."

The Elite child left without even looking back.

* * *

><p>Bardock looked down at the time and nearly fell out of his chair.<p>

"What's the matter Bardock? You look like you've seen a ghost." Tora asked from next to him.

"I haven't been called in to get Kakarot and the training day in nearly over." Bardock muttered.

"Wow I think it's a new record." Tora joked.

"No, he's made it a few complete days in a row." Bardock defended.

He decided that he would leave early. He got up and flew out the window, not bothering with the door. He flew to the low class training centre only to be told that Kakarot wasn't even there.

"Well then where the hell is he?" Bardock demanded.

"Well he arrived on schedule but he's been placed in another programme."

"Which one?" Bardock asked dangerously close to blasting something.

"We don't know. It's not in the system files."

Bardock narrowed his eyes and started to charge up a Spirit Cannon attack.

"Sir it appears that he's in a medical bay. The Elite training centre." he was told hastily and strangely hesitantly.

Bardock let the energy fade away as he processed this strange new information. Why was Kakarot with the Elites? As a third class he himself wasn't permitted to go there so what was he going to do now? He could always go directly to the King. Would he even be received? Radditz knew how to get home so he didn't bother with his oldest son as he flew directly to the palace.

The palace was in the centre of the entire system. It was also where the landing bay was. No one left or arrived on the planet without the royals knowing about it.

Bardock landed and walked quietly past the guards. He ran where he could and used stealth where he had to. He was going to see the King but he had to get in the palace first. The further in he got, the less guards there were. They weren't needed when the King was the strongest Sayian aside from the Prince.

Bardock smirked when he walked down an empty corridor that led directly to the throne room. Mission accomplished, well the first part anyways. His heart stuttered a little when the doors opened and every Sayian in the room turned to look at him. He didn't forget that every single one was most probably stronger than him but not all of them had his experience.

Bardock walked into the room as though he wasn't sort of breaking the law. He kept his gaze cool and aloof and directly on the King who was studying him with humour. The eleven year old Prince Vegeta was standing next to his father. It was rarely seen since the Prince preferred to train. Bardock stopped and bowed to his King and his Prince respectfully and very lowly. The lower you bowed the more respect you showed.

"What are you doing in here third class soldier?" the King asked.

"I've come to ask for your permission to enter the Elite training centre." Bardock replied without straightening.

There were snickers all around him but he ignored them with a clenching of his jaw and a tightening of his fist.

"Oh and why is that?" Prince Vegeta asked in a neutral tone.

"My son is in there and without my guidance he will not be able to make it home." Bardock replied still not straightening.

"I find it hard to believe that an Elite child will get lost, never mind that you are a third class warrior and your son an Elite." The King replied with clear humour.

"My son is not an Elite." Bardock said quietly finally looking up and at his King.

"He is not? Then why is he in the Elite training centre?" The King asked standing up.

"I do not know. I dropped him off at the low class (wince) training centre this morning and when I went to retrieve him I was told that he was no longer in the building and that he had been taken to another program and then I was told that he is in the medical bay in the Elite training centre. I do not have permission to enter the building." Bardock explained.

"I see. You must be Bardock." The King replied earning more than a few of the Sayians attention including Bardock himself who straightened fully.

"I've heard about you, and that son of yours. He's been placed into a new training programme because his instructor happened to mention his unusually good talent for strategy to the right Sayians. His status however remains the same. You have permission to enter the training centre everyday to retrieve your son." The King replied walking over to a computer and typing a few commands into it to make his order official.

Bardock was shocked but not enough to be unaware of the curious gaze the Prince was giving him. Bardock bowed again and turned to leave the room.

"They say that you are considered to be somewhat legendary amongst the low class and third class Sayians."

Bardock stopped and tilted his head slightly towards the Prince.

"So they say." he replied.

"They also say that you and the crew you lead can accomplish any task you take on no matter how hard it is, that Frieza himself has noticed your little group." The Prince continued.

"I wouldn't know. I have no time to listen to whispers." Bardock replied but his fists tightened.

The mention of Frieza had caused a ripple of unease to pass over every Sayian in the room. They did not like being reminded that they served another.

"They're not whispers Bardock, third class soldier. They happen to be drunken exclamations of joy by the lesser warriors of our race. You appear to be quite important to them. I wonder if your son's constant failure affects that golden reputation." Prince Vegeta said casually.

"All the same, my Prince I do not encourage these rumours." Bardock replied evenly and he did not.

They in fact infuriated him. He did not want the attention. He preferred to spend his time off planet because of the way the other lower Sayians treated him.

"Then, soldier, why do you not face me?" Prince Vegeta asked softly.

"A mouse would prefer it if the snake did not know what he was thinking." Bardock answered, choosing his words carefully.

"Clever but I think untrue. You are being honest enough with me that your thoughts would not matter." The Prince replied after a small moment of consideration.

"Some things are better left hidden." Bardock replied while walking to the door knowing that he could receive a fatal blast in the back for it.

What Bardock did not realise was that he was much stronger than he believed he was. He was in fact closer to the King than any of the other Sayians in that room. The Prince of course was on a whole other level. Still Bardock was limited by the restrictions the Sayians themselves had placed upon their own race, nipping their own potential before it had the chance to bloom. Bardock was followed by the Prince's light yet cold chuckle. He didn't even react to the cold statement of acceptance in the form of 'I like him' from the Prince.


	3. Chapter 3 Ignoring the weak

**So I've noticed that Prince Vegeta isn't really snarky enough. I imagine that having been raised on his home planet as the Prince, and not in Frieza's ship as the monkey pet I imagine him to be a little less sneerish. His meeting with Bardock wasn't meant to be admiration, sorry if you got that impression, I was going more for a careful probing, maybe a little of cold calculation and then some grudging concealed warrior respect. Oh yeah and I was also trying to explain why everyone was suddenly so interested in him. However I will be bringing the Prince back to his usual snappy Kakarot hating self shortly. Thanks for all the reviews. They're great but it's like OHKAY SO THEY LIKE THE STORY! YAY! BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SCREW UP? AHHH. Random thought of the day. Hahaha. **

Chapter 3.

Kakarot opened his eyes as the liquid was drained from the tank. His father was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and the reflection of a storm in his eyes. The storm was his own thoughts as he processed his new situation.

"Dad?" Kakarot asked when he removed the mask.

Bardock just pointed to a towel and the set of clothes. Kakarot nodded and started to dress himself. He looked questioningly at the clothing.

"Why am I not wearing low class gi?" he asked turning to a medical assistant.

"You are in the programme. You gi signifies that."

Bardock started to walk out of the infirmary and Kakarot skipped along next to him with that infuriating smile on his face.

"You need to start learning how to get home by yourself." Bardock muttered, more a thought than anything else.

"Ohkay. I've almost got it." Kakarot replied.

Bardock looked down at the perpetually happy boy and frowned. He hated to think about what would happen to the boy if anything happened to him. He knew Radditz would not take care of him. He shook his head before the thoughts could really develop.

He had to carry Kakarot half of the way home. The boy was fast asleep by the time he walked through the door. Radditz was snoring softly on the small couch. The dirty dishes indicated that Radditz had already eaten. Couldn't he wash a dish or two?

Bardock sighed. His experience on other worlds had taught him that their existence was not ideal. As a warrior race they lacked certain things as a social race and it constantly surprised him how small things like material attachments made a difference to a being's fighting. Sayians fought because at first they had known nothing different. Then it had become a challenge and eventually it had settled on a living. If a Sayian didn't fight they were doomed to either medical service or farming duty. If they were fit for neither they were executed.

Kakarot could hope only for a swift death.

* * *

><p>Kakarot was awake before Radditz because he had not had dinner and was beyond hungry.<p>

"Dad?" Kakarot whispered opening his father's door a crack.

There was no reply.

"Daddy?" Kakarot said again, a little louder.

Radditz pulled him away and shut the door. He then steered the younger boy to the kitchen and started piling food in front of him for them both.  
>"So what's with the get up?" Radditz asked with his back to the younger Sayian.<p>

"The King has put me in a new training programme. We're supposed to be developing new fighting techniques for the Prince." Kakarot replied around his food.

Radditz paused. How was that possible? He was the better fighter. Maybe it was because Kakarot was younger, more adaptable. If that was so then why did they not just start from infancy? Perhaps they didn't want to wait for them to grow up.

"How old are the Sayians in the programme and what class are they?" Radditz asked.

"Well they're all way older than me and they're all elites as far as I can tell." Kakarot replied oblivious to Radditz's thoughts.

Bardock opened his door then and walked into the bathroom. The sound of the shower told them what he was doing. Radditz let the matter drop and finished his food before his brother ate it for him.

"Radditz, I have to go on a mission today. You will have to pick up Kakarot from the Elite training centre. You won't be able to get in but I'm sure the runt can find the front door." Bardock informed the older of the two Sayians in front of him calmly but firmly.

Radditz nodded but inside he was seething. The Elite training centre? What the hell? His brother was low class scum. He was reminded of that fact every time he screwed up in training. He had to find out more about this programme.

Bardock took Kakarot to the centre and left to go to his off world mission with his crew. Kakarot watched him leave, not looking away until his father was no longer visible.

"So runt, you came back." The instructor said with a sneer.

Kakarot joined the back of the line to receive that day's instructions. He was used to the jibes. As a low class that was pathetic at fighting in every other Sayian's point of view he got jibed at a lot.

Today they had to pair up and predictably Kakarot had no partner. He chose instead to watch, learn and make adjustments to what he had already learned. For three hours that was all he did even fighting with an imaginary foe at one point to test out a series of moves.

"Oi runt. I need this taken to the registration office immediately." The instructor barked trusting a clipboard under Kakarot's nose.

He took the metal board and walked to the door. He didn't know where the registration office was but he could always as right? As he walked he hummed to himself, looking around him curiously. All around him various age groups in various stages of training fought, sparring with each other.

Kakarot stopped walking all together when he heard the obvious sounds of one person training with them self. He sounded serious and he drew Kakarot's curiosity. He walked to the room he heard it coming from and looked around the door frame. His breath caught in his throat and he nearly fell over in surprise. Prince Vegeta was training right there. He moved at incredible speeds and punched with enough force to make Kakarot's teeth rattle even where he stood. Suddenly the eleven year old Prince stopped moving. He looked down, scowling at the floor.

"Nappa it's still not right." The Prince barked angrily.

"I thought you were doing brilliantly Prince." An unseen Sayian replied.

"Of course you would, you're too weak to actually see more than a blur." Prince Vegeta snapped back angrily.

Kakarot accidently dropped the clipboard he was supposed to be taking to the registration office bringing the Prince's attention to him.

"You there! I order you to come here right now!" Prince Vegeta barked angrily.

Kakarot hesitated before walking into the room. Prince Vegeta studied him silently as Kakarot looked at the floor in respect.

"You look like that Bardock Sayian so you must be the low class runt." Prince Vegeta said after a long tense moment.

"You need to spread your feet more." Kakarot muttered, "and you need to lean a little back."

"What?" The Prince barked.

"You said that it wasn't right and I'm telling you why." Kakarot replied in a squeaky voice only just realising that he might actually be insulting the Prince.

"I see. You are part of the imbecilic programme. However don't ever tell me what to do unless I ask for your opinion." Prince Vegeta replied neutrally.

Kakarot looked up in his surprise. Prince Vegeta was looking at him with a blank expression apart from a small frown, a tiny downward tilt of the corners of his mouth. That frown looked like it was permanently there and Kakarot couldn't help the desire that sprang up to remove it.

"What are you doing here anyways? Trainees aren't supposed to be anywhere near here, Elite or not." Prince Vegeta asked, his eyes flicking to the clip board.

"I was supposed to be taking that to the registration office but I don't know where it is and I didn't want to ask my instructor since he's already mad at me. Between you and me I think he hates me." Kakarot said in a very loud whisper.

His eyes were large, trusting and even his tail stood in the air behind him, instead of around his waist where it should have been. Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise but Kakarot did not notice since he was too busy looking around the room.

The room was a standard training room with cameras lining the walls so that they could catch every angle and watch for mistakes in the Prince's already flawless technique.

"Say, you don't perhaps know where the bathroom is?" Kakarot suddenly asked, scrunching up his nose and crossing his legs before proceeding to hop.

"Nappa, show this boy to the bathroom and then the registration office." Prince Vegeta barked slightly worried that the very childlike Sayian in front of him wouldn't be able to hold it till he got to the bathroom. What was with this kid? He also wanted to try out the boy's advice but not while there was Sayian's around to watch. If the boy was right then, he, Prince Vegeta, would look like an imbecile and that simply would not do.

Kakarot was led out the room by the simple yet effective method of grabbing his collar and dragging him from the room.

* * *

><p>It was time for Kakarot to go home now. He wasn't in a rejuvenation tank today and for that he was grateful but he was pretty banged up. He had seen some snickering and whispering amongst the other Sayians and he was pretty sure that they didn't want him to end up in a tank, least he actually catch up to them in power. He didn't care though. He had met the Prince.<p>

Bardock had expressly instructed Radditz to pick Kakarot up but the older Sayian was nowhere in sight. The sun was beginning to sink low into the blood red sky and the tired young Sayian sat down. He placed his feet together and sighed. His tail stood erect behind him and slightly curled at the end. His head was bowed as he stared meekly at his training boots.

"Why are you still here runt?" A familiar and gruff young voice asked.

Kakarot looked up and at the Prince. He sighed again, too upset over having been forgotten, and he was sure he was, to even bother acknowledging the Prince's titles. It never occurred to him that Radditz had purposefully left him behind.

"I'm waiting for my older brother." Kakarot mumbled.

"Why do you not just fly? You can fly can't you?" Prince Vegeta replied.

"I can fly but I don't know the way. I get lost. Usually my dad brings me home but he's off world." Kakarot replied.

"Your brother, is he like you?" The Prince asked thoughtfully.

"No. He's a third class Sayian. I heard daddy say once that he could be the poster boy." Kakarot replied.

Prince Vegeta did not reply but Kakarot was sure he heard the older Sayian mutter something like daddy in confusion.

"You know runt you should take this as an opportunity to learn." The Prince commented after a long moment of silence.

Kakarot thought about the statement and realised that the Prince was right. After all he was pretty good at remembering new fighting techniques. How different was geography really? Kakarot stood and bowed to the Prince before taking off into the air at a slower pace than anyone else had ever taken off from the Elite training centre.

Prince Vegeta watched the boy until he was no more than a black speck. It was not concern, nor friendship, nor even Princely duties that made him watch. It was the curiosity as to whether or not the boy would realise that he was going the wrong way.

* * *

><p>"You! Has the runt arrived yet?" Prince Vegeta barked as he stormed into the training room where the said runt was supposed to be.<p>

"No, your highness." The instructor replied before bowing low to the ground.

"Hn. Change of plans Nappa." Prince Vegeta barked again before spinning on his heel causing the red cape to flare out behind him.

"But Prince . . ." Nappa started.

"Are you questioning me?" Prince Vegeta demanded calmly, but anyone could hear the underlying threat.

"No Prince." Nappa replied with a small bow.

The Prince marched back to the entrance and took off into the air in the same direction that Kakarot had done so the previous night. He wanted the runt because he wanted to fight with him. He would have to lower his power and speed but the Prince saw it as an opportunity to learn greater control.

Buildings became scarce and sand started to rule the landscape. Trees dotted the ground beneath the two Sayians sparsely and the Prince wondered why the runt had not noticed this and turned back. Then again his power level did not afford him much flying time at high velocities. Had he gotten tired?

Prince Vegeta's patience allowed him to search for an hour before he turned around and headed back to the city and back to civilization.

* * *

><p>Kakarot knew he had gone the wrong way. He tried not to cry as he walked around the hot desert land. Crying would only drain the little water he had left. He was hungry, tired and very, very thirsty. Why hadn't Radditz come for him? Surely he was supposed to be at the training centre by now. Someone would notice he wasn't there and someone had to come looking for him, didn't they?<p>

A tree emerged from the haze of heat and Kakarot headed towards it. Shade was a luxury in this harsh heat. He wanted to climb the tree but it was too thin and dead looking to support his weight. He sat down and tried to catch his breath.

The day was only going to get hotter and he knew that he would eventually have to start walking again. Maybe he should wait until night. No, then the temperature would drop to freezing once again. As it was he would have to use his Ki to keep himself warm.

Kakarot got to his feet and began to wonder again, wishing he was home with his daddy instead. He knew that Bardock wasn't even on the planet and wouldn't be back until the next day. Could he wait until then? How would his father find him?

That didn't matter as the ground started to shake suddenly. Kakarot stopped walking. He looked around but saw nothing for miles other than the endless red sand.

Suddenly the sand in front of him began to bubble up. Dust rose as the ground shook harder making Kakarot fall. The ground exploded into the air spraying everything with clods of sand. Kakarot screamed in terror when a big black scale covered monster roared at him. He quite promptly burst into tears.

The thing dived at him and he only just managed to roll out of the way. He scrambled to his feet and began to run. His arms were flailing behind him as tears streamed down his cheeks. (For a visual think four year old Gohan.)

Kakarot couldn't afford to stop running. He had no idea where he was going, only that he had to keep running no matter what.

* * *

><p>Bardock opened his pod door warily. He just wanted to eat and then sleep for a few hours. He stepped out of his pod and turned to just fly out the window since his crew could just do the paperwork for him.<p>

"Third Class Sayian Bardock."

Bardock looked up to see two elite soldiers facing him. He could only think of one thing that would require him to be summoned and that was his six year old son. He sighed again and walked towards them.

They led him out of the landing bay and then took to the skies. They flew at a pace that Bardock just slightly couldn't keep up with in his exhausted state and he knew that they did it on purpose.

As expected he was taken to the Elite training centre. To his surprise though, Prince Vegeta and his bodyguard, not that Bardock knew why he needed one in the first place anyway, were waiting at the entrance. Radditz stood slightly away from them with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped in shame. He also looked as though he had taken a beating.

"Prince." Bardock greeted with a bow.

"Your son Kakarot in out there somewhere." Prince Vegeta informed him gesturing vaguely in the direction of the Rikki Desert, "Your other son failed to guide him home as instructed."

Bardock didn't wait for anything more. He took off into the air faster than anyone of the elites had expected and towards Rikki Desert. That place was also known as the Sayian graveyard as many Sayians had died in there trying to concur the beasts that lived beneath the sand. Kakarot didn't stand a chance. There was also a slim chance he'd even find the boy.

Bardock flew until he had figured that Kakarot would not have been able to go any further. On the way he had looked for signs of the boy and had seen a lot of disturbed sand. The three elite guards, the Prince and Radditz had followed him.

Bardock hovered in the air watching, surveying the land, trying to make sense of the disturbed sand. It zigzagged in unnatural patterns indicating a chase. His sharp eyes saw the tiny footprints that indicated his son and he flew towards them. He followed the footprints, occasionally losing them due to something having dragged over them.

"What are you doing?" The Prince asked in confusion, floating up next to him.

"Have you ever been in a battle off world Prince, ever hunted another living being?" Bardock replied already knowing the answer.

"No." The Prince replied bitterly.

That was when Bardock heard it. It was a sound he'd never mistake. A sound that had kept him up for hours. It still haunted him. Kakarot was crying, it was faint, very far away but completely unmistakable.

Bardock stilled and listened. He closed his eyes and tried desperately to find the direction. There! He flew towards it, the disturbances in the sand increasing.

Kakarot was sitting up high in a large tree and crying his heart out. The tree was surrounded by large piles of sand. Bardock landed and looked up at his son.

"Kakarot. Jump down." Bardock said calmly.

The crying stopped immediately.

"DADDY!" Kakarot yelled before jumping straight down and into his father's arms and buried his head against his chest, "Th-th-th-there was a m-m-mean monster and and and it wouldn't s-s-t-top chasing me and and I got lost and I didn't know where I was and I had to r-r-r-run away and I got even more lost. . ."

He clung to Bardock and started to sob. His tiny body shook weakly as he cried. The boy needed sleep, food and most importantly water.

Kakarot stopped crying and looked up at his father with wide pleading eyes a second before the ground started to shake.

"Daddy." he whimpered right before a creature burst from the sand and swallowed one of the Elite guards that had followed.

Kakarot yelped and scrambled out of Bardock's arms in terror. He fell to the ground and scrambled away. Everyone except Bardock and Kakarot took to the sky. Bardock flew at the creature, intent on destroying it. Kakarot stayed where he was, watching in wide eyed terror as his father battled with the creature.

Bardock couldn't use Ki blasts as they'd only deflect off the scales. His most powerful punches didn't even seem to slow the thing down and on top of it all, he was just too damned tired for this.

Kakarot saw his father starting to slow down, to show his exhaustion and the terror was replaced with determination. He raced towards the creature with a cry of anger.

"I've had just about enough of you! You big bully!" he screamed just before he jumped and kicked the creature just under the jaw, that only spot without scales.

The creature fell to the ground either dead or unconscious. Kakarot went to his father and clamped onto a leg, completely oblivious to the looks he was receiving. All he wanted was to go home.

Bardock scooped him up and took to the air to join the others. They exchanged words that the tired young Sayian wasn't paying any attention to. As they flew towards home Kakarot's tired brain realised something. The place that they were leaving was the perfect training field.


	4. Chapter 4 Lizard Lord bullies

**Ohkay I'm going to take a bit of a leap here. I want little Kakarot to get older and stronger so that he can defend himself from the people of his world and those of Frieza's army because we all know that that stupid Lizard has to show up sometime. So the next chapter isn't really about surviving more like growing in a way. I don't really like this chapter but oh well. Hopefully I can make up for it in the chapters to come. **

Chapter 4.

Somehow Kakarot never got lost again. The young Sayian never needed a guide to take him home ever again either which was fine by him. Kakarot went back to the Rikki Desert often and learnt things that no other Sayian before him had ever learned before. He had been cautious at first, conserving his energy so that he would make it back in time with energy to spare. He also explored the planet, switching between the training centre and the vast wildernesses of the Planet Vegeta.

It had become apparent to the King that Kakarot was not going to use the Blitz wave technique and proceeded to disband the training program. The program had made Kakarot more powerful than any training in the low class centre ever could. He had to unfortunately return to the low class training centre where he learned nothing and wasted time.

That was when Kakarot learned the art of signing in and signing out of training but never actually being there. He went instead to the Doslorien Mountains of the Brutaliana Forest. He learned about his Planet's animals and became friends with many of them. He hated the fact that he always had to return back to base to sign out and head home, but it cheered him to know that he could return the next day.

No one knew that he was never at the training centre and he was fine by that. Not even his father suspected anything. His power had increased drastically due to his new found techniques and training areas, but he solved that problem by learning how to control his Ki, making it appear smaller than it really was. With this skill he had learned to sense other power levels without a scouter. He never wore one unless he had to.

By the time that Kakarot was thirteen years old and the Prince was eighteen Kakarot never even bothered to sign in anymore. It raised a lot of questions but Kakarot proved that he was an adequate fighter enough for him not to be considered useless. He didn't show more than he had to and let his opponent get in a few lucky shots and that was all. He knew that if the Sayians ever found out how powerful he really was, they'd send him on purging assignments or kill him as a threat to the throne.

Life was exactly how he wanted it. Learning to fight without having to actually fight other people made him happiest. He barely even used the Sayian fighting technique anymore having developed one of his own. It focused more on speed than that of strength. The best thing was that everyone still thought he was the weakling runt.

* * *

><p>"Frieza had requested a tournament to be held in honour of his arrival." Radditz commented one evening.<p>

He was twenty-one now and had completed his training long ago. He was sent on off world missions like Bardock and Kakarot looked forward to the times where they were both away so that he could stay out longer.

"So?" Bardock asked unfazed.

"I want to enter." Radditz replied.

"No." Bardock answered flatly.

"I don't need your permission." Radditz growled.

"Frieza's men are going to be in that tournament. You have no idea what they're like." Bardock snapped back.

"Oh and you do?" Radditz responded just as hotly.

Kakarot sighed and took his food to his room. Those two constantly fought over everything. He knew that Bardock would forbid the tournament and Radditz would ignore it. He would enter and fight despite what Bardock said.

Kakarot knew that the tournament just happened to fall on the same day that Bardock was off world again. Did his father and brother realise it?

Kakarot took his empty plates back to the kitchen when he was done. Bardock and Radditz were glaring at each other from across the table. Kakarot started to wash his dishes hating the tension between the two. He playfully threw a glass of water at them.

"Cool down hotheads before you spontaneously combust." he joked.

The two blinked before going back to their food in stony silence. Kakarot felt hurt by their behaviour and what hurt more was the fact that he was the reason why. Bardock had never forgiven Radditz for not bringing Kakarot home and Radditz had never forgiven Bardock for blaming him in the first place.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the tournament and Bardock was off world. The whole planet was in a state of false cheer and welcoming for the lizard lord that ruled them all. It made Kakarot mad. He rarely got angry but that lizard made him seethe.<p>

Every time he had to watch his Prince and King bow in front of that abomination he wanted to yell in frustration. He noted that the Prince's younger brother Prince Tarble was never around when the lizard lord came. Wisely so since the second son of the King was only classified as a third class that had no passion to fight. That made him useless but his status as Prince protected him, for now.

Kakarot stuck close to the Sayian city today and monitored his brother's Ki. Sure enough, the Sayian went to the tournament registration office and signed himself in. Legally he could. Physically he was out matched, most of the Sayians were but try telling them that.

Kakarot had been monitoring all the other power levels that went to sign in their own names and realised that all the Sayians were in trouble, a lot of trouble. He could join the tournament if he so wished. His age and class meant he'd have a little trouble getting them to take him seriously but that was about it. It would mean revealing his true abilities as a fighter and in front of Frieza too! It was unthinkable. He' just have to watch for now. Maybe he could catch his brother before the tournament started and talk him out of it.

There was nothing that Kakarot could do about the other Sayians because most of Frieza's soldiers were stronger than him as well, besides none of the others would even pretend to listen to him.

As the day progressed more and more of the Sayians started to head for the tournament ring to watch. Kakarot easily blended in with the crowd, hiding in plain sight. He looked to the boards and noticed that his brother had made it passed the preliminary rounds. His match was also the third one.

Kakarot actually enjoyed the first two matches. He cheered for the Sayians in them even though he knew that they would lose. When his brother stepped out, many snickered but that was mostly from the part of the audience that were Frieza's soldiers. Radditz's opponent was greatly more powerful than him. He was even more powerful than elite soldiers. His name was Cui and he reminded Kakarot of a fish.

The match started with a gong and Cui immediately delivered a crushing blow to Radditz stomach before he could even get into a proper fighting stance. The match just went further downhill from there. Kakarot watched helplessly as his brother was beaten horrifically and mercilessly. Every Sayian was quiet as they too watched in stunned horror at the brutality before them. Even they were stunned and that said something.

"RADDITZ! GET UP!" Kakarot screamed despite himself and in the silence of the tournament ring it carried.

It caught Cui's attention and he smirked up and the stricken younger Sayian before stomping his foot down brutally onto Radditz tail. Even from where he was Kakarot heard the crunch as the delicate bones were crushed. His brother was in too much pain to even cry out. His temper snapped as the tears he hadn't even realised were on the verge of shedding finally spilled over.

Scouters all around Kakarot flashed and started to bleep and anger took over. He sprang from his seat and flew with a yell of rage at the unsuspecting alien. He smashed his foot into the bully's skull, sending him skidding across the ring. Kakarot quickly regained control of his Ki so as not to raise any further suspicions. It might have already been too late.

"He was beaten! He couldn't fight anymore! There was no need to continue to torture him! You'll pay for what you've done." Kakarot screamed at Cui.

"A sentimental Sayian? No wonder it's such a boring event." A cold cruel voice commented making both Cui and Kakarot freeze where they were.

Kakarot turned to see Frieza floating in his chair next to the King and Prince.

"If I wanted to see a massacre I'd orchestrate one. Take that pathetic piece of trash off of my ring and ungrace your own presence from it." Frieza snapped impatiently.

Kakarot grit his teeth and bowed before lifting his brother's arm over his neck. He hovered into the air looking at Cui and sending him a silent message: this battle was not over.

Kakarot flew to his home. One of the tournament rules was that participants didn't get rejuvenation tanks. Period. Even if they were dying. It was going to be rough for Radditz for a while. Kakarot could do nothing for his brother's pain as he cleaned the wounds and set the broken bones. He winced every time his brother made a sound of pain or discomfort and dreaded the day Bardock would return and see his son in such a state.

* * *

><p>Kakarot was fast asleep in the chair he was sitting in. Radditz was out cold in the bed next to the chair. Bardock took in the sight, the bowl of cold water, the damp cloth in Kakarot's lax fingers, the glass of water and the plate of food, with a strange sense of detachment.<p>

He kicked the bed and Radditz eyes fluttered but did not open. Kakarot however sprang to attention. The thirteen year old needed sleep and probably food. Radditz looked like a space pod had landed on him.

"Dad. When did you get back?" Kakarot asked his eyes shifting nervously and guiltily.

"About two hours ago. Everyone kept going on about the tournament." Bardock said with barely leashed anger, "They kept muttering about Radditz getting his ass handed to him like I told him he would and how his thirteen year old low class brother had to save him."

"I couldn't just sit there and watch that big bully hurt him like he was dad." Kakarot whined confused as to why his dad was mad at him.

"See what I can't figure out is how you did it. They say that it was Cui and I've heard about that one. You don't have the power to do what they say you did." Bardock growled.

Kakarot fidgeted, unsure of what his dad wanted from him.

"Never mind. I shouldn't be yelling t you." Bardock said pinching the bridge of his nose.

There was a loud bang from the other room and elite soldiers swarmed into their small home. Kakarot was grabbed and had arms were twisted painfully behind his back. Bardock was also being restrained but it wasn't like he was struggling, yet.

Prince Vegeta walked into the room, red cape billowing behind him. He took in the house and the things in it before sneering in disgust. He caught sight of Kakarot and smirked.

He walked right up to the younger Sayian. He said nothing as he placed his palm flat against Kakarot's chest. Kakarot's eyes widened when that palm began to glow. He looked at the Prince and the expression on Kakarot's face could be said to be betrayal but not quite. The Prince fired a Ki blast straight into Kakarot's body. Kakarot choked on the yell as pain spread through his body, like a fire consuming all in it's path, before his eyes went blank and he slumped over in unconsciousness. He knew that had he been at his full strength than the blast wouldn't have fazed him.

* * *

><p>"I want to know what his true power is!" Prince Vegeta barked.<p>

He stood in front of the rejuvenation tank that held the thirteen year old Sayian. He floated in oblivious bliss as medical staff scurried around trying to find the solution. His wild spikes of hair waved gently as the bubbles from his mask floated to the surface of the tank. The medical staff was having trouble getting a true reading off of the boy since his power level kept moving. However if the numbers at the tournament were anything to go by then this low class runt was close to surpassing him. HIM? The Prince of the Sayians. It was unthinkable.

"I want an accurate reading NOW!" Prince Vegeta barked again, more impatiently.

"It's hard to be certain since his Ki isn't at its maximum and there also appears to be something wrong with his Ki in general, your highness." One of the medical personal stuttered out in terror.

"I don't want excuses! I want results!" Prince Vegeta screamed in rage.

"Patience young Prince." A cold, smooth voice said quietly, calmly making the Prince freeze, like a deer caught in the headlights.

The Lizard Lord stood behind the Prince assessing the young Kakarot like a young child surveyed an insect before he killed it.

"We estimate twelve thousand milord." The head of the Sayian medical staff reported coolly.

Twelve thousand! That was impossible! The Prince himself was only at seventeen thousand. How could a low class runt manage to gain that much power without even being in battles? What if the estimation was correct? How had they not detected it sooner? How had it gone unnoticed for so long?

A newer more pressing matter made itself known to the Prince as he realised that Frieza was also in the room. Yes he had known that the Lizard Lord was there, how could he not, but he was _there_. The Lizard had stayed to see the results.

Prince Vegeta let go of his usually carefully controlled emotions and let loose a snarl of rage. His tail uncurled from around his waist, his gloved hands fisted until they creaked in protest.

"I don't want estimates either!" A whip of his tail. "I want results!" A fist raised and three fingers extended towards the Sayian medic.

The message was clear to the Sayian. What had seemed like a childish outburst to Frieza and his men was in fact a clear message delivered in complete secrecy. _Lie! Lie about the results so that Frieza never knew the truth!_

"Yes Milord."

A twitch of a curled tail told the Prince that he had received and understood the message. Prince Vegeta curled and tightened his tail around his waist once more. His arms were crossed and he assumed his calm, coldly aloof persona once more.

"My, my little monkey. It appears that you rule with an iron fist." Frieza commented with a cold mocking chuckle that made the Prince want to scowl in both anger and disgust but he could not.

Kakarot presented something for the Prince that he absolutely could not lose. If the estimated results held any truth to them then Frieza would either kill or recruit the young Sayian. Judging from Kakarot's personality Frieza would recruit him first and kill him five seconds later when he realised just how different this Sayian truly was. To the Prince neither must happen. He needed Kakarot more than he'd ever admit. Since he was stronger than all the other Sayians on the planer he had no adequate sparring partner and thus did not progress as high nor fast as he wished. Kakarot just might be the key to the victory he so longed for. Kakarot might even be the, dare he say it, hope of the Sayian race. He could not let Frieza take it away.


	5. Chapter 5 Making Deals, meeting friends

**Would've updated sooner but my internet got knocked out by a huge storm and it took a while for it to be fixed. Not cool I tell you. But it's all good now. Enjoy! Oh yeah, by the way would it be preferred to write this as a Vegeta and Goku Yaoi fic or keep it as clean. I can write it either way. XD**

Chapter 5.

Kakarot was still in the tank. The medical staff said that it wouldn't be long now and what was actually taking so long was the fact that he had been so exhausted from before the blast. All he really was doing now was sleeping.

"So you say this runt has a power level of twelve hundred and not twelve thousand?" Frieza asked in that cold tone that made the Prince want to attack him.

"Yes Milord." A Sayian answered, "A small mix up with a few zeros."

"That kind of mistake is unacceptable. After all just look at the difference a zero can make." Frieza replied with narrowed, angry eyes before he indifferently blasted the head of the Sayian medical team into nothing more than a faint memory.

Prince Vegeta had to make his posture go rigid to stop the wince, and the reflex attack.

"Sire, the men are getting restless and wish to know when we will be leaving." Zarbon's voice came through apologetically via Frieza's scouter.

"Now. I've had enough of this Sayian filth." Frieza replied and Prince Vegeta's teeth snapped together.

Prince Vegeta's attention was drawn away from the insults that the lizard lord was only too happy to give and towards the tank, as Kakarot's bubbles billowed a bit more in magnitude and his tail went in the opposite direction that the bubbles were floating in indicating that he had moved it himself. Could the runt hear them?

Prince Vegeta was forced away from the tank and the Sayian Kakarot to go through the infuriating motions of seeing the Lizard Lord off. There was a lot less acting involved here as he truly was happy to see the freak leave. Hell all the Sayians were happy to see him leave. Good riddance, for now.

It was three hours before the Prince could return to Kakarot again and irritatingly enough the runt was still asleep. A Sayian scurried into the room and bowed to the Prince.

"You may speak." Prince Vegeta said more out of habit than actually wishing to hear what he had to say.

"The third class Sayian Bardock resisted apprehension and was therefore attacked by the elite guard. He is now currently at his place of residence in much the same condition as his eldest son."

Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in shock but it was not at the words he already knew about. It had been he himself that had placed the Sayian Bardock in that condition in the first place for being disobedient. They had wanted to question Bardock about his son but Bardock proved to be resistant, intent on getting his son back no matter who was in his way. Too bad for him it had been the Prince that had been standing in front of him.

No what shocked him was the pure seething anger he saw spark to life in Kakarot's now open eyes. He had never expected that from the odd runt of a Sayian. His scouter began to bleep and numbers jumped around rapidly before suddenly the tank that Kakarot had been in exploded. Kakarot jumped into action before all the liquid had even hit the floor. He sent the Prince a withering glare before jumping out the window and speeding out of sight.

The Prince was too shocked at the defiance and the open rebellion to even respond. He stood there absorbing the numbers his scouter had registered and the anger that had been directed towards him. He scowled at the floor and tightened his already fisted hands. He knew where the runt was going anyways.

* * *

><p>Kakarot fought back the tears that threatened to spill over his eyes. He couldn't believe it! His own Prince. He would have given his life for the royal family. He would have done anything they had asked of him, anything! They had only but to ask. BUT THEY DIDN'T! They just took it. Kakarot could only pray that he wasn't too late as he flew faster than he ever had towards his home.<p>

He didn't even bother with the door and simply crashed through the ceiling.

"DADDY! RADDITZ!" Kakarot screamed starting to panic because he couldn't feel their Ki anywhere.

He ran through the house, banging open the door to his father's bedroom with a kick. His heart leapt and sank when he saw nothing. The bathroom showed the same results. Instead of barging in through the last door, Kakarot paused raising a shaky hand to the doorknob. He held his breath as he slowly turned the handle and pushed it open. Light spilled into the dark room and a rush of cold air blew out towards him.

Kakarot let out a shaky breath as he searched for the light switch. He was almost too afraid to see. The light clicked on and a strangled gasp escaped the young Sayian. He looked at the sight in front of him and fell to his knees weakly.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no . . ." Kakarot chanted over and over as through saying the word often enough would make the sight before him untrue.

Radditz was as he had left him. Unconscious on the bed and whimpering in pain. However the sight that broke the little Sayian was that of his strong, proud father lying in a crumpled, bloody and broken heap against the wall. His hand seemed to be reaching out and when Kakarot saw that he sprang towards his father.

"Daddy?" Kakarot asked almost too afraid to touch his father in fear that it would confirm his greatest nightmare.

Suddenly he could stand it no longer and he grasped his father's hand tightly in his. On a sob he realised that he could sense his father's Ki but it was terribly low. Kakarot choked back the tears threatening to overwhelm him and started to think. He couldn't take both his father and his brother to a medical centre without being apprehended before he could take the other as well. So he needed to do something and fast.

Kakarot closed his eyes and relaxed his body. Still keeping contact with his father's hand he looked deeper inside his self, searching for the Ki he knew was swirling beneath the surface, longing for freedom but never getting it. He then started to transfer his energy to his father, building on the weak Ki signal his father had. He may not be able to heal his father's wounds but he could help him before he died of them.

When Kakarot felt he had given his father enough but in reality had given far too much than was smart, he moved to his brother who fared better but not by much. He transferred more of his energy over to his brother and finished just as he sensed Ki signals approaching the house. He was too weak now to fight them off. There was not much he could do now, not that he wanted to fight anyways.

He let go of his brother's hand and shifted so that he was leaning against the wall. Bardock stirred and groaned. He lifted his head and tried to get up on all fours.

"It's best f you stay down for now father." Kakarot mumbled.

"Kakarot?" Bardock asked with a cough.

"Yes." Kakarot replied softly.

"I thought they'd taken you away." Bardock muttered still trying to get up.

"They did but I came back to see if you were alright." Kakarot said concentrating more on the approaching Ki signals than the conversation, "Stay down father and no matter what happens now, don't interfere."

The front door banged open just as he finished. Bardock managed to get to his feet and leaned heavily against the wall. He may have energy but that did not mean he was no longer in pain.

Prince Vegeta and the King marched into the room. Both looked like they were having an extremely bad day. Kakarot didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted by the fact that there were no other elite guards with them.

"You stay away from me!" Kakarot managed to yell.

"Listen here kid." Prince Vegeta started, marching straight over to Kakarot, "You're going to come with me to the palace and you don't have a say in the matter. After all I saved your pathetic life and at the cost of another Sayian you ungrateful runt."

Kakarot looked at the Prince and saw the anger in his eyes. Yes he sensed the death of the Sayian and yes he had heard the conversation that took place before and after it but there was nothing he could do and it certainly was not his fault. Kakarot also knew that in his current state he couldn't even fend off a low class trainee much less the Sayian Prince and King.

"I'll do what you want so long as you leave my family out of it." Kakarot whispered in reply.

He knew he was in no position to argue anything but he had to protect his family no matter what.

"Hmm, I don't know why you want him Vegeta, he can barely stand." King Vegeta commented, studying Kakarot.

"He probably transferred his energy to his third class father. His brother too no doubt." Prince Vegeta muttered more to himself than his father.

"You know what runt, I'll make you a deal. I'll give the order to have your brother and father put into rejuvenation tanks if you co-operate with the Prince." King Vegeta rumbled.

Kakarot knew that he didn't have much energy left. He needed to sleep and soon. The deal was a good one considering that they would just force him either way. So Kakarot, breathing shallowly nodded his head before closing his eyes. He slid down the wall and promptly fell asleep, hoping against hope that they would take care of his family.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand you Bardock." The King said to an angry and almost naked third class Sayian.<p>

"What's there to understand? I do what's expected of me as a Sayian and that's that." Bardock replied waspishly.

He knew he should curb his anger towards the King but he just wasn't in the mood. The King and his devil of a child be damned. He was done. He was done with the whole third class business. He was done with the living conditions. He was done with the constant mockery. He was done with the shitty assignments. He was done period. If he had to start a rebellion then so be it. They would follow him. Since the third class and low class Sayians greatly outnumbered the Elite Sayians he didn't have to do more than proclaim his distaste and he would be followed right to the grave. He'd have the Sayian loyalty like the King never did.

Bardock froze in the motions of getting dressed into a new set of his armour. Since when did he condone thoughts of rebellion? He was supposed to be loyal to the throne. He had been loyal to it. So when did it change?

"I don't understand your unnatural attachment to the boy Kakarot." The King elaborated breaking into Bardock's chaotic and treason filled thoughts.

"I promised his mother." Was all Bardock replied.

When the King demanded further explanation Bardock sighed in annoyance.

"She died giving birth to him but before she died she made me promise to always look out for him, that he was special. So I promised because I could never deny her anything and I look out for him as best I can." Bardock explained through clenched teeth.

He had never wanted to share something so private but he did and he had. Too late now.

The King thankfully remained silent and Bardock continued to pull on his armour. He wondered if he would ever see Kakarot again and what would the royals do to him. He was a very sensitive boy and Bardock hoped he could handle whatever they threw at him.

Bardock turned to look at the tank his eldest son was floating in. Once again, none of this would be happening if Radditz had just obeyed him. Bardock closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What are you going to do with my son?" he asked.

"My son believes that he will be beneficial for training. In the meantime, Frieza requested a Sayian crew for this assignment." King Vegeta replied warily and handing Bardock a device.

"Level five. That's a high level assignment. What's wrong with Frieza's dogs?" Bardock asked looking up from the screen.

"Apparently the native inhabitants prove to be difficult. I've heard that this planet will take awhile to get to." King Vegeta replied waving a hand dismissively, "Do you accept or not?"

"I don't have a choice." Bardock replied walking out the room and pressing the side of his scouter to summon his crew.

The King watched the Sayian thoughtfully. It had been a long time since anyone had treated him like just another Sayian instead of licking his boots all the time. Yes he was King and yes he demanded respect but he also didn't mind a bit of companionship. No one agreed with him for his wisdom. It was all because of a crown and a law he himself had placed. The King was the strongest Sayian on the planet. That meant that his descendants wouldn't necessarily sit on his hard won throne. Perhaps this Bardock Sayian would produce the line that would one day take over from his line. He couldn't think of a Sayian better suited for the job. He'd hate it just as much as the King did now.

King Vegeta chuckled as he imagined Bardock in his place, dealing with the imbecilic matters that were presented to him, bowed down to Frieza. What would Bardock have done in his place where Frieza was concerned? That was something interesting to consider.

* * *

><p>Kakarot woke up in a room that was not his own. He lay as still as possible, also keeping his eyes closed since he sensed another's Ki in the room with him. Upon further inspection he realised it was unfamiliar to him. It was however in the average range of a third class. Kakarot decided it was safe to open his eyes.<p>

He blinked as the light assaulted his senses and squinted until his vision adjusted. The room was very impersonal and way to metallic. Sitting in a backward chair with his arms resting on the back was a Sayian about the same age as Kakarot.

Kakarot sat up and tilted his head to the side. The Sayian looked familiar but not quite. It was almost like he was related to someone Kakarot knew.

"Hi." Kakarot offered in his most friendly tone.

He just got blinked at in return.

"My name's Kakarot. What's yours?" Kakarot offered again.

Instead of a friendly response as Kakarot had been hoping for, he got instead a sudden intake of breath and rapid blinking to stop the tears. It seemed that he had unknowingly upset this stranger. With a gasp of defeat the boy shot up from his chair and ran from the room with a wail of anguish. Kakarot saw a brief flash of red on his armour but he couldn't actually be sure that he'd seen it.

"Was that good for nothing bugging you?" A rough unwanted voice asked.

Kakarot looked back at the door way to see Prince Vegeta leaning against it with his arms folded against his chest. Kakarot saw the Prince's narrowed eyes, as though waiting for Kakarot's conviction so that he could punish the offending Sayian boy. Kakarot thought back to the boy's obvious despair and quickly shook his head.

"Cute. A runt sticking up for a mutt." Prince Vegeta sneered.

Kakarot chose not to say anything.

"Have you ever heard of fight club? A rather unimaginative name but it's adequate I suppose." Prince Vegeta asked neutrally, watching Kakarot carefully.

"No." Kakarot replied innocently, interested despite himself.

"I thought so. You're too young to even be considered near there." The Prince muttered, "You might as well get up since you're awake."

Kakarot watched as the Prince walked away. He was still mad at the Prince ad really didn't feel like listening to him at all but he had made a deal hadn't he. He had to obey, it was an order given to him from his Prince. He had to obey no matter how much he didn't want to.

So Kakarot got out of his bed and saw a set of armour waiting for him. It was black and white. It was also styled much like the royal armour, but not quite. Huh. That was new. The style of one's armour could also be used as an indicator for class. He shouldn't even be wearing armour yet. Low class Sayians had to wait until they went on their first off world mission. Perhaps they didn't have any low class gi lying around. Yeah that had to be it. He couldn't imagine a set to be simply lying around in the palace of all places.

The armour was slightly uncomfortable and very nearly restricted his movements but with a few stretches, punches and kicks he found that it moved quite easily. Kakarot walked out of his room when he was done dressing and took in his surroundings. He had never been anywhere near the palace before. It was large that much was apparent and very metallic. Kakarot felt saddened by the whole place. There was no life in the cold building. There was nothing natural. Not even a pot plant. He was going to have to change that one.

Kakarot really didn't know where to go nor even what to do. He thought about it for a moment before sensing out Prince Vegeta's Ki and following it. He knew now that the Prince was not alone. He took his time getting to the Prince so as to absorb his surroundings. Everything was much the same, boring even. Kakarot imagined getting lost because it looked so much the same, but since he wasn't going to a destination but rather towards a person he figured he was safe for now.

He came to a closed door eventually and sensed the Prince on the other side. He heard talking and giggling coming from the other side as well as Ki signals. So Prince Vegeta was probably in a good mood. Maybe he'd let Kakarot out to see his friends around the planet. Maybe he'd even let Kakarot bring one or two back to the palace. He held his breath in anticipation and knocked politely.

The giggling and talking stopped. There was silence for a full minute and Kakarot wondered if he shouldn't just turn around and find something else to do.

"Enter." The Prince's gruff voice called out and the door slid open unlike Kakarot's house where you had to manually do it.

For a moment Kakarot was fascinated with the door staring at the slot it had disappeared to. Then he remembered why he was there and turned his attention back to the inside of the room and the Prince. Kakarot turned crimson much to the Prince's amusement when he saw the very inappropriate state his royal Highness was in with several female Sayians. Kakarot gulped and quickly turned around stuttering something about coming back later.

"No runt. What do you want?" Prince Vegeta asked very much amused.

"I was just wondering (gulp) whether I could go out (gulp) and see my friends." Kakarot managed to say.

"Oh how cute, it talks." A female voice gushed sarcastically.

"Shut it. I didn't know you were that popular in the sandbox runt. Very well but don't make me come look for you when the sun goes down. Remember your brother is still in a tank in the palace." Prince Vegeta replied casually.

"If you don't mind, can I bring a few back with me. They're not Sayians per se." Kakarot asked still facing the other way.

"Sure kid. It's not like imaginary friends can eat any food." The Prince replied with a chuckle.

Kakarot bowed towards the door, not intending to turn around at all and left the room. He immediately jumped out the nearest window and headed for the Rikki Desert.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta was scowling at the setting sun, tapping his finger impatiently against his crossed arms as he waited for the runt to return. Just as he was about to call in the cavalry he spotted a tiny black speck in the distance.<p>

As the speck grew closer Prince Vegeta felt a nervous tick start to develop in his left eye. His ears picked up the sound of laughter as well as soft rumbling squeals and keening. Kakarot appeared to sitting on the back of some sort of scaled floating worm.

There was no way in hell a floating worm was staying at his palace. Never! Not even if Frieza himself demanded it. Kakarot appeared to be having the time of his life as the red sand coloured creature preformed various aerobatics for Kakarot's pleasure alone. Kakarot spotted the stunned Prince and stopped laughing to tell his worm something. Kakarot then jumped off and flew towards the Prince and landed with a flourished loop the loop.

"You're late." Was all the Prince could manage to bark out, he also managed to add, "And that thing is not staying here."

"That's ohkay he was just giving me a ride here anyways. He likes the desert way better." Kakarot replied happily.

Kakarot turned and waved at his floating worm abomination before skipping along next to the Prince.

"Would you quit being so jolly?" The Prince finally snapped.

"What on Planet Vegeta for?" Kakarot asked generally confused.

"Never mind." Prince Vegeta muttered and Kakarot beamed a happy smile in his direction, making his already irritating twitching get worse.

"Dad's not on the planet anymore, is he?" Kakarot asked.

Prince Vegeta glanced at the boy in surprise. He couldn't have known that. He had been asleep when Bardock left.

"No. He's on a mission." Prince Vegeta quickly answered with a scowl when Kakarot turned to him.

"Oh, ohkay then." Kakarot replied with a happy grin.

This kid was NOT normal. What did they say was the problem again? Oh yeah, he'd suffered a server head injury as a baby. Huh, did smacking him again cause him to go back to what he should have been? It was an interesting and most definitely amusing theory. After all he'd only have to hit him with enough Ki to _almost_ kill him.

Prince Vegeta smirked but Kakarot wasn't looking at him so he didn't see it. He slowed his pace slightly so that he was walking behind Kakarot. He began to gather his Ki in the centre of a raised palm. The blue energy reflected off the metallic walls, making the place appear brighter than what it truly was.

The Prince fired and Kakarot unexpectedly sprang out of the way with a sound of surprise at the last second. He turned to the scowling Prince in confusion.

"What was that for? If that thing hit me I could've died!" Kakarot asked being just a little over dramatic.

"Well it didn't so you won't die!" The Prince snapped back grumpily before continuing to storm down the corridor.

Kakarot stared after him in confusion. He scurried after the Prince however when a barked order to hurry up reached his ears. Kakarot wondered what had him in such a bad mood.


	6. Chapter 6 Puberty problems

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm surprised by all the positive ones and the general number. Anyways I will tally up the responses after this chapter as to whether or not it will be a yaoi. For the readers that do not get the desired result, my apologies but I did base it on the majority. If it suits everyone I'll just split the story so that there are two versions. The clean version and the yaoi version. Not much will be different other than the relationship and eventually ending. This chapter is slightly shorter but I had to end it there. It was such an awesome conclusion. Drama we've all been waiting for from our lovable Prince will be in the next chapter so let's all hold thumbs for me getting it right.**

Chapter 6.

Pretty soon the smell of food reached Kakarot and he didn't need the Prince's constant orders to have him keeping up. Instead of paying attention to the palace he was practically dragging the Prince towards the place where he could smell the food.

Just as they reached the door, Prince Vegeta got over his shock and wrenched his hand away from Kakarot with a glare. The thirteen year old was too preoccupied by the thought of food to care much about it.

"Will you cut that out already!" he demanded just as the guards opened the door for him.

Kakarot might have been preoccupied with the thought of food, but he wasn't that far gone that he didn't notice the Prince's further agitation, and the vague command he'd been given.

"Cut what out?" he asked tilting his head to the side, forgetting to keep his tail curled around his waist in his confusion.

"Ahrg! You're such an imbecile sometimes." Prince Vegeta yelled angrily, not seeming very Prince like to Kakarot as he did so.

"Uh, sorry but what's an imbecile?" Kakarot couldn't help but ask.

"YOU ARE! Now get in there before I kick you in." Prince Vegeta barked gesturing to the inside of the room which was already filled with the usual entourage of Sayians that dined with the royals.

Every single one of them was utterly quiet as they watched the Prince and this low class runt enter the room. While the Prince was stalking in the room with an almost visible thunder cloud over his head, Kakarot was skipping into the room, much too concerned about food to be upset by the Prince's bad mood.

"Runts sit in the corner." Prince Vegeta barked at Kakarot before sitting down at the right hand of the King.

Kakarot simply changed direction.

"You're late." The King stated simply.

"Blame it on Mutt over there, I gave him a curfew and he failed to adhere to it. His punishment shall be received after dinner and that's only because I'm hungry." The Prince replied.

Kakarot paused at the name and glanced back at the Prince. He then started to walk backward, veering his course slightly so that he ended up next to the Prince who had just raised a piece of food to his mouth. Kakarot tugged on the Prince's cape causing him to miss his mouth and end up shoving the food on his face. Kakarot back up a little when he felt the spike in the Prince's Ki due to his anger.

"What. Do. You. Want. Now." Prince Vegeta asked with forced calm angrily swiping his arm across his cheek to remove the particles of gravy.

"Well I was just wondering what it is I'm supposed to respond to when you call me, cause you use an awful lot of names, none of which are correct by the way. There's third class spawn, low class runt, runt by itself, Mutt is a new one but still, it's been used. Imbecile from earlier and I'm pretty sure you used clown at some point. . ." Kakarot continued listing all the insults on his fingers as he went, studying the ceiling as he tried to recall them all.

This was all much to the amusement of the other Sayians around the Prince who they all thought that the Prince was too spoilt for his own good. They also felt slightly sorry for the low class child as he'd no doubt be ordered to be killed.

"You'll respond to whatever it is I bark at you! Now disappear!" The Prince yelled.

Kakarot retreated to the corner he had originally been sent to and noticed a small table and chair already set up. In fact there were two chairs but no one was sitting in the other. Empty plates already occupied the table. However Kakarot was more interested in the full ones. He swore he could hear them calling his name. He quite happily answered their imagined call and dug in faster than the palace servants could bring out the food, which was saying something since Kakarot was unknowingly competing with the Prince.

All Sayians ate a lot but not all of them ate so fast they nearly choked. Most were used to the Prince's fast set pace but not all of them were used to the accelerated pace Kakarot forced him to take. The Prince just refused to be out eaten by the runt. Kakarot stopped eating suddenly and looked at something with wide eyes. The Prince took it as a sign that he had won the personal contest and ignored the fact that Kakarot hadn't even known he was in the competition in the first place.

He turned instead the one of the politicians next to him and asked them for a report on the whereabouts of all the Sayian off world teams. It was a test he liked to play with his subjects, since the position and number of off world teams constantly changed they had to constantly be prepared. It kept them on their toes and too busy to plan revolts. If they got it wrong then they were killed. One had to set an example after all.

Prince Vegeta ignored a brush of sensation on his leg. As the Prince he was used to being subtly propositioned by female Sayians and as an eighteen year old Prince they all knew he'd have to pick a mate soon. However he did pause when he heard a giggle that sounded all too familiar. His eyes narrowed as he paid closer attention to what was happening below the table.

It was a little hard to miss when there was a sudden yelp of surprise and loud bang. The table had shot up with said bang, making the objects on the table clatter and some spill. The Prince scowled and without looking reached under the table to grab onto the boot of a very irritating low class runt.

"What are you doing grovelling on the floor by our feet?" The Prince asked blandly, letting the insult do the work, not that he figured the runt would get it.

In reply Kakarot giggled and squirmed.

"No, ah, come on, ha ha, cut that out, naaha ha ha . . ." Kakarot protested between laughs completely ignoring the Prince.

To the Prince's complete surprise a small furry thing that wasn't a tail wiggled out of Kakarot's armour. The Prince reached for it ignoring Kakarot's hurried warning and receiving a throbbing finger in return as said fluffy creature latched on with unbelievably sharp teeth.

Kakarot hurriedly tried to coax the thing off of the Prince's finger.

"Come one Kree, that isn't nice. We talked about this. You can't stay if you're going to bite everyone." Kakarot scolded and amazingly the furry thing let go, well it might have been the rising temperature in the Prince's hand as he started to charge a Ki blast.

"What is that thing?" The Prince demanded from a still suspended Kakarot.

"This is Kree. He's really quite nice once you get to know him. He's kinda cute too." Kakarot replied displaying the brown fur ball he'd hidden in his hands.

Cute? Not in the Sayian vocabulary, that word should be banned. How dare he insult the Sayian race by uttering the word _cute_? All that could be seen of the fur ball was a pair of deceivingly innocent eyes and six tiny paws.

"You did say I could bring friends home but I kinda didn't know about this little guy." Kakarot continued.

"Just get it out of my sight." The Prince barked before casually slinging Kakarot over his shoulder and back at the table in the corner.

Kakarot managed to slow his momentum just before hitting the wall and ended up standing sideways on it looking puzzled. He remembered something and hurriedly floated back to the Prince.

"What?" The Prince yelled.

"I just thought you'd like to know that Kree is slightly venomous. He causes your Ki to rocket out of control or plummet and random intervals as well as you sort of, well you kind of, can't move for a while." Kakarot said awkwardly, "You should lie down quickly before it sets in. That way we can just put you in your bed until it's over. The first time Kree bit me I ended up in the weirdest position and let me tell you it isn't fun."

When the Prince just glared at him Kakarot sighed and propped Kree on his shoulder, who keened at him in approval. He then grabbed the Prince and forced him to lie on the floor with Kakarot sitting on his stomach, stretching over him to force his arms down.

"Trust me, you'll thank me for it later. This was how I learnt to control my Ki but shh that's a secret so don't tell." Kakarot whispered to him with a grin, which the Prince thought was waaaaay to close.

There wasn't much he could do however as true to Kakarot's word, he couldn't move. He was stuck exactly how the runt had forced him to be. The palace guards were at a loss at what to do. Their Prince had just been wrestled to the floor by a low class child.

The Prince had to be carried to his room much to his displeasure. He couldn't voice it however and that just frustrated him more. All he could move was his eyes and eyelids. He was thankful at least that his body wasn't completely stiff yet. That way he could at least get comfortable on his bed since that was where he was going to end up for who knew how long.

Kakarot had followed the guards as they had taken the Prince to his room. He was surprised that no one had tried to kill him or something yet. He noticed though with how little care they treated the Prince, not at all mindful of the sharp corners and staircases. After banging the Prince's body into some sort of surface for the third time Kakarot got angry and sent a Ki blast that split into two at the guards' heads.

"Be nice! He's the Prince so you'd better show some respect!" Kakarot yelled.

The Prince was surprised by his show of concern. No one at the palace had ever displayed such affection towards him before. It was unheard of in the game of politics as it was each Sayian for himself.

"Listen here you little runt, the only reason you're still breathing is because no one wants to waste the energy to change that." One guard snapped at him.

"Oh yeah. Then why don't you waste some energy and try to beat me." Kakarot challenged having had enough of the Elites and the fact that they always bullied him.

The guards glanced at each other before placing the Prince on the floor none too kindly and cracking their knuckles. The Prince was powerless to stop them from doing anything. Heck he couldn't even move himself out of the way. In the meantime he did have a nice vantage point of the fight that he was sure was about to take place.

As one guard tried to punch Kakarot he dodged it and sent a spinning kick at the said guard's head. The guard flew into the wall and bounced off of it with a sickening sounding crunch. The Prince was shocked when the guard didn't get up. The second guard snarled in anger and tried to punch Kakarot, having clearly not learnt his lesson via the first guard. Kakarot used the momentum of the guards own swing to hoist himself up into the air. He flipped around once before slamming both feet into the guards face.

"Aww. They weren't even fun." Kakarot complained as he landed on the floor.

He turned to the Prince with a puzzled expression. His hand crept to the back of his head as he struggled to think of what to do with the Prince now.

"Gee I didn't know they were that weak. I wouldn't have hit em that hard if I had. That way they could've finished taking you to your room. Anyways I think I know where it is. I'll just use my Ki to carry you. No biggy." Kakarot chatted, more to himself than the Prince since the Prince couldn't reply.

Kakarot's expression became one of concentration and the Prince was lifted off the floor. This time Kakarot was sure to be careful of all the surfaces and objects on the way so as not to accidently hit them with the Prince. Prince Vegeta had no idea why the runt was being so . . . . . nice, even after the way he had been treating him.

"Ah ha, I actually remembered the way. Probably took me longer than it would've taken those guards but at least we got here." Kakarot chatted while he waited for the door to open.

The Prince would've sighed in relief as his body sank into the mattress if he could've. Instead he just lay there, forced to stare at the ceiling. The bed was a very high one and Kakarot, even though he was far from short for his age, had to jump to get on. The Prince was able to narrow his eyes at that.

Kakarot it appeared was simply making sure that the Prince was comfortable. He pulled off Prince Vegeta's boots and gloves. He muttered something about the armour being a lost cause. He puffed up the pillows before placing them under Prince Vegeta's head and pulled the covers up to under his arms.

"The other effects should start kicking in round about now. They're really uncomfortable and kind of scary so I guess I'm just going to stay here. I'll talk to you, tell you about the planet since you probably don't get out much since you have to train so much." Kakarot said lying down on the bed next to the Prince.

At the mention of other effects the Prince realised just how high his temperature was and how weak he was starting to feel.

"I really am sorry that Kree bit you. I tried to warn you but you wouldn't listen. I found Kree in the Brutaliana Forest. You'd be amazed at what's out there and what you can learn from them." Kakarot said sounding truly sorry about the Prince's predicament.

The Prince listened to Kakarot because he really had no other choice and to his utter surprise it did make him feel better. It helped to distract him from the things happening to his body. His temperature was never constant and it was the same with his Ki. One moment he'd be practically buzzing but was unable to move and the next he'd barely have enough energy to breath. Through it all Kakarot told him about the harsh heat in the Rikki Desert and the all that it had to offer. He told the Prince about the arctic temperatures in the Doslorien Mountains and how that was where he had learned to control his Ki the most since he had to keep a fine balance between exhausting himself and keeping warm. He told the Prince about the exotic and ever changing world in the Brutliana Forest where nothing was ever as it seemed. It had taught Kakarot to never judge anything by what he was presented with in face value and look deeper to see the danger in seemingly harmless creatures such as Kree.

"I think it'd be fun to fight you even though you're stronger than me. I mean I haven't actually fought anyone in years and as much as I hate having to hurt someone for no good reason I think I could fight with you. I mean you wouldn't actually try to kill me, at least I think you wouldn't. . ." Was kind of how most of the conversations went. It was like an out loud version of the Sayian's thoughts.

Prince Vegeta wondered whether he could actually fall asleep in the condition he was in. That way he'd be able to just skip over this whole thing. It seemed like an idea and when Kakarot stopped talking he gave it a try. Just as his was able to calm his mind enough to attempt sleep another effect would make itself known and he'd have to start all over again.

"It usually lasts about two days." Kakarot whispered after he had been silent for a while.

The Prince had thought that he'd fallen asleep. While he wanted to be angry at this low class runt, he just couldn't. Not yet anyways. He was sure that when he was better he'd probably hurt the boy and he knew that Kakarot was expecting it, yet he stayed and the fact that he knew he was going to do it bugged the Prince.

"It's a rather cruel way to learn a new skill, but it's a very useful skill. Here I'll explain it for you as best I can. Notice how your Ki is never constant. Try to follow your Ki, predict where it's going to go." Kakarot said softly but try as he might the Prince just couldn't concentrate past the episode of pain his body was being racked with. Those were getting more and more frequent.

Kakarot shifted and suddenly he was above the Prince with each knee placed on either side of the Prince, though none of his weight leaned onto the Prince's body. Kakarot gently placed a gloved hand on either side of Prince Vegeta's face and turned it gently to the side that he had been laying. The bangs on his forehead tickled as they shifted to the side as well. Kakarot scrambled back to where he was and lay down so that he was facing the Prince.

"Here, I'll make a Ki ball that follows your Ki." Kakarot said and suddenly the reason for him moving the Prince's line of vision was clear.

Prince Vegeta thought the suggestion was preposterous since Kakarot did not have a scouter. However Kakarot held up his hand and a small glow began to appear. He watched as the ball grew brighter and dimmer at seemingly random intervals and began to notice the pattern within himself. The pain was when his Ki was too high and the dizziness was when his Ki was too low.

After about two hours of following the Prince's Ki Kakarot lowered his hand. He hadn't spoken at all in the two hours and Prince Vegeta thought sarcastically that it must have been a record.

"Why does no one come to check on you?" Kakarot whispered.

He sounded sad by a simple fact that the Prince had grown up in, had come to expect and even believe to be the norm.

"My father used to make me a special dinner when I got sick or something and he never went off world till I was better, but here . . . it's been hours and no one has even come to see if you're awake. I don't understand." Kakarot continued in a voice that seemed on the verge of tears.

The reality of their two different worlds hit both Prince and child alike.

"I won't leave you till you're better. I promise." Kakarot assured the Prince suddenly in a determined voice.

Prince Vegeta wanted nothing more than to hurt Kakarot. He felt touched by the boy's words and because of that he wanted to hurt him, for the humiliation and for the idiocy of the boy. He had worked very hard to build his barriers, to not care and he wasn't going to give it all up for some low class runt. His anger grew the longer he just simply lay there. His anger was directed at Kakarot, his stupid fur ball and . . . himself.

The more Kakarot chatted away about nothing and everything the more Prince Vegeta's anger grew. This child had no right to call himself a Sayian. He was happy, friendly, trusting and too damn innocent. That innocence of his was going to get him in trouble one day and while the Prince's pride would never allow him to thank Kakarot or even befriend him, it would allow and even enjoy teaching him that not everyone was a friend and that he needed to be less sentimental if he was ever going to survive. What better way to do it than to destroy his trust in a person he saw as a friend.

Another conundrum was the fact that he was classified as a low class and yet he had managed to break through the barriers that labelled him as such and was now one of the strongest Sayians on the Planet. It wasn't right! He was just a thirteen year old child.

Prince Vegeta was forced to watch as Kakarot's eyes grew heavier and heavier. His speech patterns grew less and less coherent as he battled to stay awake. The fuzz ball Kree was already asleep and making irritating yet cute (? GRRRR) little noises as he did so. It had to have been a day already, yet Kakarot had not left once, not even to go get more food. Predictably Kakarot lost his battle and his eyes slid closed. He was already curled into a ball and his tail unconsciously moved across the bed.

The Prince couldn't move at all when Kakarot's tail twinned with his in an unconscious gesture of trust and acceptance. Had Kakarot been a girl and slightly older it would have meant other things, and the fact that he wasn't made the Prince relax only minimally. Did the kid really trust him that much? He had taken him from his home, beaten his father, ridiculed him, had been downright harsh . . . yet he saw the Prince as a friend?

The Prince was further grateful that Kakarot wasn't a girl, or even himself for that matter when the child started to purr. Why oh why did he have to find an adequate sparring partner that was hitting puberty? Do not think about it . . . do not think about it . . . do not think about it . . . The Prince chanted to himself.

Since his line of vision still involved Kakarot and his irritatingly innocent expression he closed his eyes and tried once again to achieve the ever elusive state of sleep.

That plan went out the window when Kakarot shifted and ended up hugging one of the Prince's arms to his chest, with his head resting on the Prince's shoulder. Not once did that tail ever let go of the Prince's. That purring thing vibrated throughout the Prince's body and at first annoyed the shit out of him, his armour not helping at all and provided a conductor for the purring instead, but eventually it did what he himself could not do on his own . . . lulled him to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7 Heir to the thone?

**I just want to start off by saying that I'm not entirely happy with the way that this chapter turned out and after staring cussing threatening and outright begging the story to tell me why it remained stubbornly quiet. So now I turn to you my readers to please tell me where I'm going wrong and I will try in future chapters to correct the problem. For example my friend Cara2012, believes that Prince Vegeta is too bratty and that I need to stop driving them apart and start bringing them together (all planned for the chapters to come) She also kinda says that our adorable Prince needs more pride and less snob. So let me know guys. **

Chapter 7.

The King stood alone in his son's room. It had been two and a half days and it had occurred to him to see if the child was still even alive. He frowned down at the sight that greeted him upon entering the room.

The Prince lay on his side, his bangs in a tousled and even cute mess across his forehead. His face was for once free of all sneers, scowls and arrogant smirks. He was still in his armour and the King thought slightly gleefully that he was going to be feeling that when he woke up.

However this wasn't what displeased him. It was the arm that was curled protectively around the Sayian low class runt that had him frowning. Said runt was lying curled into the Prince's chest with his tail disgracefully twinned with the Prince's. That was too much for King Vegeta as he wondered briefly whether to stare until his son woke up because of it and slowly realise the position he was in or whether to shock him out of his little nap.

While both were appealing the first one was more amusing. So the King shifted till he was comfortable enough to stand for a very long period and waited. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that his son was far too spoilt than he should ever have been. Sometimes humility was good for a Sayian but it was far too late now as the Prince would simply kill anyone who opposed him. Yet he allowed the low class child to live?

Prince Vegeta huffed in his sleep and drew his arm more tightly around the child. The King's eye started to twitch when the child started to purr. He wasn't opposed to a male and male union, he was opposed to a royalty and low class union. Besides, his son, as the first born Prince was to produce a heir and therefore had to take a female mate, even if he did so just for appearances and male children.

When Prince Vegeta turned onto his back with his tight hold on the child bringing him with so that he now rested on the Prince's chest, the King's patience snapped.

"Vegeta!" he barked.

While the child just mumbled and paused in his purring for a few seconds, Prince Vegeta's eyes flew open. The King watched in satisfaction as he processed the position he was in. He watched the shock melt away to confusion, then realisation, then surprise and finally anger.

"Get off me!" he yelled at the now startled Kakarot.

Kakarot jumped up and looked around in utter confusion. While he floated in the air Prince Vegeta threw off the covers and stormed passed his father to go to the bathroom. The King raised an eyebrow at his son's unusually placid response. He had been expecting a lot more fuss. Perhaps he wasn't awake enough yet. He knew his son enough to know that tempers were going to be flaring and high.

The King's attention was drawn back to the low class child as he lowered to the floor and started hopping. When the shower started in the bathroom his expression turned pained.

"Uhm, where's the bathroom?" Kakarot asked hopping over to the King and giving a short and hurried bow.

The King thought about sending him to where the Prince was currently showering but decided the construction wasn't worth it and directed him to the one in the room next door.

Prince Vegeta took a long and hot shower, simply standing under the water and enjoying the sensation of it running down his body, soothing his aching muscles. Aching muscles was nothing new to him, it was welcomed in fact. It was the fact that he had been holding the child like a lover that bugged him. Kakarot was never going to be an option. He was thirteen for one thing and he was a low class runt for another. He was also not homosexual.

So then their position that morning could be more like he was protecting the child. Protecting him from what? He distinctly remembered thinking that the child was too innocent and trusting for his own good. So maybe as the Sayian Prince he felt it was his duty to enlighten the child, but protect him? That would imply that he was condoning the innocent friendliness, which he was NOT.

He remembered Kakarot's purring and his age, indicators of puberty and groaned. Just his fricken luck. What if Kakarot was homosexual? What if he just thought he was because of his stupid out of control hormones? This was going to get even more irritating. He needed to kill something and soon.

When the Prince entered the dining area it was empty except for Kakarot, who was sitting at the table in the corner. He glanced at the Prince and away from the food long enough to smile. Prince Vegeta did not return the gesture and proceeded to ignore Kakarot as he ate his own food, making up for the missed days. He felt stronger in a weird way. Perhaps being bitten hadn't been entirely bad after all.

Kakarot finished before he did and he as the Sayian walked passed him he swallowed the food in his mouth to bark, "Meet me in the throne room in one hour and bring that fuzz ball with you."

Kakarot just nodded and said "Ohkay." in an annoyingly cheerful voice before continuing to leave. Prince Vegeta chewed his food carefully as he thought over his plans for the day. He had to do something about that runt and fast. Whatever had been forming between them - and there was nothing - had to be stopped. It had to be snipped in the bud, prevented from getting any further than the nothing that it was. Besides he was now behind in his training and it was all Kakarot's fault. The brat was supposed to be there to help him with his training, not hinder it!

Prince Vegeta stormed out of the dining room with a huff of frustration. He barely even noticed the guards wincing away from him in fear. He had a reputation after all. Explosive unpredictable bouts of rage. Nothing and no one was safe when that happened.

His red cape snapped with the force of his turn as he entered the corridor that took him straight to the throne room. He was too impatient to wait for the doors to open and simply blasted them to smoking piles of almost nonexistent ash.

The previous buzz of political arguments immediately ceased as a very clearly moody Prince walked through the doorway.

"Ahh, it's good to see you well and rested my Prince." A slithery slimy oily repulsive snake of a Sayian hissed out with a bow.

"Shut it!" Prince Vegeta snapped wanting to just blast the moron instead but he had other ideas and he didn't want to ruin the impending satisfaction he was going to experience because of it.

Prince Vegeta spun in his heel so fast his cape all but whipped out the sound of his anger. He crossed his arms and stared daggers at the door . . . waiting.

Oh yes this was going to be glorious. He couldn't kill the twerp. Not yet. Should Kakarot surpass him then the day that happened would be his last.

Prince Vegeta's glare turned to a slow cruel smirk as Kakarot poked his head around the door looking more than a little lost and most certainly uncomfortable.

"Hurry up!" The Prince barked when it became apparent that Kakarot was quickly becoming overwhelmed.

He jumped and looked at the Prince. He then walked further into the room, glancing around much like he had the first day he was in the palace. The Prince watched him and realised two things. He wasn't scared of all the Sayians staring at him. In fact he was openly ignoring them. It seemed that his nervousness stemmed from the sheer size of the room he was in and its opulence. He wasn't used to the utter uselessness of half the krap in the room, most of which was there only for appearance.

"Still today runt!" The Prince snapped.

Kakarot walked faster before stopping just in front of Prince Vegeta and bowing. He turned slightly and bowed to the King as well. The King was watching with silent amusement, knowing his son well enough to know that something was about to happen and whatever it was it couldn't be good.

"I see you brought that disgusting dust mite." Prince Vegeta commented noting the fluffy creature perched on Kakarot's shoulder.

"Well you did tell me to and he kinda wouldn't have stayed put if I told him to anyways." Kakarot answered with a casual shrug that made a vein in the Prince's forehead throb at the lack of respect due to his title but he said nothing.

"Make it come here." Prince Vegeta ordered instead.

Kakarot eyebrows pulled together in confusion but he lifted a hand to the fluffy creature anyways. Kree happily flopped onto his hand with a squeak and Kakarot brought the thing closer to his face and stared into its large eyes with a solemn expression.

"Now remember Kree. NO BITING THE PRINCE." Kakarot said seriously, even nodding his head a little with each word spoken.

He then walked closer to the Prince and held out his hand. Prince Vegeta raised his own gloved hand and the creature hopped onto it with seemingly no distrust what's so ever. The Prince raised his now occupied hand to eye level so that he could study the creature that had rendered him nothing more than a warm statue for two days. He was surprised that he could feel a tiny thrum of a heart beat faster than his own by nature and the warmth that radiated off the thing. All indicators that this thing was alive, it was breathing. It had life and yet it was so small. How could something so small be alive? It was also extremely weak. Prince Vegeta would have to make a conscious effort when handling it not to kill the thing accidently. Yet . . . this tiny weak insignificant glorified dust buster had stripped him of his power and made a fool out of him.

Prince Vegeta simply closed his fingers. A simple action amplified by the use of his Ki. There was a screech of pain, a crunch and squelch, then nothing but silence. A silence which was punctured by heavy laboured breathing that increased as the seconds passed.

Prince Vegeta sent a concentrated amount of Ki to his hand to dispel of the mess and the body. He watched Kakarot in his peripheral vision, drinking in the wide shocked and betrayed eyes, the open mouth and the heavily heaving chest. Those wide innocent eyes glistened with tears that did not fall.

"What's the matter runt? You look like you lost something." The Prince sneered turning his attention to the Sayian more fully, more noticeably.

Kakarot gulped and composed his features before quickly shaking his head and straightening his posture. He asked no questions as his gaze slid to the floor. No tears fell either and Prince Vegeta was surprised by that, but he wasn't done yet. Since Kakarot was looking down he didn't see the shift in the Prince's posture. Most didn't see it either because it was too fast for them to follow.

The Prince crouched down and thrust his fist forwards. All Kakarot could do was choke on the blood that filled his mouth as the Prince buried his fist in his stomach.

"You will remember your place low class runt and remember it well. The only thing keeping you alive is the fact that you might be useful to me but the moment that ceases to be true, you die." The Prince whispered in his ear before straightening.

Kakarot fell to his knees without the support of the Prince and he struggled not to cry out. Even if he could manage to get a sound out around the fact that he couldn't breathe he didn't want to. He had been suppressing his Ki so the blow hurt a lot more than what it should have.

"You're not here for a holiday runt. You're here to work so I suggest you move your ass on over to the training rooms." Prince Vegeta said coldly as he walked past the still kneeling boy and towards the throne room doors that no longer existed.

The King frowned slightly at his son's behaviour. It was still not as violent as he had come to expect from his son. Perhaps he was only in that opinion because he hadn't killed anyone yet. There was almost always someone dying. This time it was only a creature. In fact the whole thing appeared to be geared towards the destruction of Kakarot's emotions, his trust. Now why would that arrogant foolhardy hot-headed son of his pay so much attention to a low class runt?

The King decided to play closer attention to the two. Only when the Prince couldn't see did Kakarot let a single tear fall down his cheek. I trusted you . . . but more importantly why do I still want to make you smile?

Kakarot was grateful that the Prince had left first. It meant that he could just simply follow his Ki to find the training rooms that he didn't know about. He didn't even know his way around the place. So far he had been managing to make it by luck and a little bit of skill.

He couldn't get the image of Kree being crushed to death and then disintegrated into nothing from his mind. It was burned into his memory and he had to force down the tears once again. Prince Vegeta had known nothing more than the constant battle to survive. When he no longer needed to worry about assassinations he had to worry about the weight of being chosen to defeat Frieza one day. A weight that had been unfairly placed on his young shoulders. These were the excuses Kakarot tried to use to reason with himself over the Prince's behaviour. Still a small part of him was hurt beyond repair but then again it was just a part of him that joined many others.

Radditz held a large portion of those damaged, hurt pieces. However Kakarot had the feeling that Prince Vegeta would quickly take over that title. Now was not the time for self pity. He needed to be in the training room and obey his Prince, keep his promise. He had after all agreed to do as the Prince told him to in exchange for his family's health. So he had no choice but to walk into the training room where the Prince was already fighting with invisible foes.

"You will stay over there until I need you." Prince Vegeta barked from his spot in the air.

Kakarot was too depressed to even look up at the Prince. He just sat down in a corner and slumped against the wall. The soles of his boots were pressed together and he was staring at those boots as he tried to process the actions of his Prince and the situation he now found himself in.

He sat like that for hours as the Prince went through training assessment after training assessment. A tiny voice told Kakarot that he should be watching this, should be learning but he didn't. He was still trying to find it in himself to move passed Kree's murder at the hands of his Prince. Really, what was he thinking? Prince Vegeta had been the one that had beaten his father to near death. Why had he trusted him again? Why . . . why . . . why . . . why . . . . . There were endless why questions and he really just did not have the answers for them.

A particularly large explosion finally caught Kakarot's attention since it landed directly above him. He turned his wide eyed gaze once more to the Prince but the Prince was frowning in another direction. Kakarot looked at the scorched metal above him and tried to imagine what had transpired but he couldn't and he was disappointed in himself for not watching.

"Nappa! It's still not right. You're supposed to be the army's fighting expert. Tell me what's wrong!" Prince Vegeta yelled and Kakarot looked everywhere for Nappa, the Prince's reputed and unnecessary bodyguard.

Yet he was not there. Kakarot then spotted the neon blue strips of cameras lining the walls, recording the Prince's every move. A dangerous action but they wanted to correct any and all mistakes in the Prince's fighting techniques.

"You move too fast for us to actually see you Prince, we have to go over the tapes. Why don't you train with the runt for now? See what all the hype is about." Nappa's sugary sweet voice replied via intercom. The Prince hated the way he kissed up all the time.

Prince Vegeta turned slowly to stare down at Kakarot who was currently hugging his knees. All that could be seen of him were his large eyes.

"On your feet, front and centre." Prince Vegeta barked using army terms to address the thirteen year old.

Kakarot got to his feet and stretched before walking over to the Prince. He was shorter than the Prince for now but he was still growing.

"First things first. I want to know what your power level is." Prince Vegeta said starting to circle Kakarot.

"I don't know." Kakarot replied with a shrug.

This made Prince Vegeta falter in his pacing. Power levels were everything yet this child didn't seem to care where his fell. Nappa's power was just under the King's at nine thousand or so. The King was about twelve thousand and the Prince was at about seventeen thousand.

"How do you measure your power?" Prince Vegeta asked resuming his pacing.

"I suppose the regular way. The difference is only in the fact that I hide my power." Kakarot replied.

To hide one's power? So simple yet so farfetched. Could such a thing even be achieved?

"Show me!"

Kakarot was reluctant to reveal his true strength to the Prince and so he wouldn't. Not yet any ways. He'd only go so far as ten thousand or so. He got into a slightly crouched position and tensed his muscles. His aura exploded around him in a blaze of silvery white as the number's on Prince Vegeta's scouter rose rapidly. His hair shot up and waved in the wind his own Ki was creating. His armour didn't give way to the wind since it was skin tight for the most part. Since he wasn't trying to power up as fast as possible he didn't need to yell out the pain that that caused. It did cause pain weirdly enough. As one's Ki rocketed back to the level it was supposed to be at it sent waves of power through your body at such intense speeds and amounts that it was physically painful as well as exhilarating. A rush that made you feel invincible if you weren't used to it.

"It's over 9000!" Prince Vegeta exclaimed watching the numbers with wide eyed shock. **(Sorry. I just couldn't resist.)**

Kakarot took that as his cue to stop powering up. Not his maximum but a lot more than he'd ever allowed himself to handle before. It was quite the experience. He smiled and flexed his fingers, enjoying the feeling. He then flipped backwards onto his hands and started to do push ups. He laughed at the free feeling in his chest that was bubbling to the surface.

"Wow. I never knew being this high up would feel so cool." Kakarot yelled happily with a carefree laugh.

Prince Vegeta watched him and was confused by his sheer joy in the simple actions he was doing. He was moving faster than before but that was the only difference the Prince could pick up on.

"Stop fooling around! You're here to aid in my training not to have fun!" Prince Vegeta barked when his confusion became to frustrating for him.

Kakarot froze mid loop-de-loop and looked at the Prince in his own innocent confusion. He then lowered to the floor near the Prince and smiled.

"Sorry. I've just never allowed myself to show that much power before." he explained sheepishly.

"Get into a fighting stance." Prince Vegeta replied lowering into one of his own.

He was anxious to see what this kid could do. He was also anxious to work on some of his frustrations. He knew that Kakarot was still currently lower than him but he was far stranger than the other Sayians around them and that had to at least count for something, right? Kakarot did lower into a crouched position and the Prince sprang into the attack.

Kakarot took his first punch on the jaw, a kick to the ribs and knee to the stomach before he could even begin to fight back. He rolled out of the way, retreating away from the Prince's onslaught, his ruthless attack. Kakarot frowned when he realised that he was back to defence and that the Prince really didn't spar so much as tried his best to hit you as hard as possible.

Prince Vegeta didn't understand the difference between Saibamen and training bots compared to Kakarot, a living breathing Sayian. While the child could take more than the other Sayians he wasn't used to the brutality that the Prince was accustomed to dishing out towards the various training equipment he had destroyed, seeing Frieza's face in every one.

Kakarot had also semi reverted back to the Sayian fighting style rather than the one he himself had devised. He wasn't as fluid in his movement and so he made more than a few mistakes, lowering the already less than mighty opinion that the Prince had of him. Kakarot didn't care what that Prince thought about him but he did care that it would cause a further rift between them, but could they move passed Kree? Kakarot was still sad about it but he wasn't angry at the Prince, never had been to begin with.

One particularly harsh kick sent Kakarot sliding across the room. He was panting, battered and bruised but he was still standing and still ready to go, just slower than before. He noticed that the Prince had an audience and that the Prince was in fact hurt more than he was letting on. His audience was part of his distraction. If he ignored those around him, he'd probably learn more but he cared too much about what his father saw in him.

"Prince we have the reviews of the tapes ready." Nappa's voice blared interrupting the Prince's near punch.

"Lucky for you." Prince Vegeta huffed before yanking his armour over his head, grabbing a towel and walking casually from the room.

Kakarot had been holding back and because of this Prince Vegeta was fuming. Yet he hadn't had fight such as that one in a long time even if it was pathetic. Kakarot had certainly lasted longer than Nappa usually did and that was an accomplishment in itself.

Kakarot did not follow the Prince already knowing what he would see. They would tell him that strategically and technically his fighting style was flawless but Kakarot knew better. Prince Vegeta for one thing still fought like a Sayian. Kakarot's tail tightened around his waist as he thought it over. Yes, his fighting as a Sayian was flawless but the style itself had many, many flaws.

Kakarot was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the King enter. He jumped however when the deep quiet voice rumbled behind him. "I fear that my son is not the one to free us from the control of the Lizard Lord."

"I didn't think you were afraid of anything." Kakarot replied turning around and looking up.

A tiny smile tugged on the corners of the King's mouth but those corners did not lift. He stared at Kakarot as though he were a puzzle that needed solving.

"Why do you fight with a style you have not perfected?" The King eventually asked.

"What do you mean?" Kakarot asked in genuine confusion.

"I am no fool, Sayian. I lived my life in war. I know about fighting in a way my son never will. He's never had to be responsible for the death of many, his own kind or that of another." King Vegeta rumbled impatiently.

"I don't want to actually fight with the Prince." Kakarot replied quietly as well as looking down.

"That's too bad. You have to fight with him. He'll never let you continue with your life as it was. You see he's never really had an equal. He's enjoying himself too much now. With you here and being able to keep up with him, only slightly slower and weaker he's experiencing sparring like he's never done so before. Still he's arrogant and fool-hardy. He likes to blind himself from the truth because I allowed his pride to develop far higher than I should've." The King replied in a wary tone.

"I think he just needs a different situation." Kakarot mused looking to the side.

"I think he needs a good lesson in humility. He doesn't even notice that you're toying with him." The King replied impatiently.

"I was not." Kakarot protested.

"Maybe not in the sense that you have more power than him because you don't, that much I can tell. It's more in the sense that you're deliberately lowering your abilities. It's disrespectful you know." King Vegeta replied waving a hand dismissively.

"Why are you telling me this?" Kakarot asked.

"I told you earlier, I fear that my son is not the one to free us from the Lizard Lord. Therefore . . . Prince Vegeta might not be the next King." King Vegeta replied before leaving the room and leaving poor Kakarot very confused.


	8. Chapter 8 I used to have a life!

**Sorry for the late update but the next one will be late as well since I am now starting midyear exams and really need to study but I will try. After all we all really need a break sometimes. **

**The votes have been tallied and it was a clear Yaoi victory but just so you all know that won't happen till Kakarot is older. He's only thirteen right now after all.**

**I've been thinking about it and I want to portray the Sayians a bit more brutally. They are a warrior race so I imagine them to be the Spartans. They used to kill babies if they were too small! But not that brutal. So let me know if I'm pushing it too much. Ooi I really need to put my humour back in here. **

**Lastly thanks for all the awesome reviews. I never expected this story to be so popular. **

Chapter 8

"Radditz! You're awake!" Kakarot yelled happily as he bounced into the room.

Radditz ignored him as he continued dressing in his armour.

"Do you feel better? You were in real bad shape." Kakarot continued oblivious to the tightening of Radditz's jaw and the throbbing vein in his temple.

"You had me real worried for a while there. Then Prince Vegeta came and it was ohkay again. Dad got better real quick and he went off world again. He's on this long mission and he's not even on his way back yet. Do you think he's ohkay . . ." Kakarot babbled while Radditz dressed.

Radditz ignored Kakarot completely, not even stopping to look at the thirteen year old who was happily telling his everything and anything he deemed important. Kakarot didn't see the growing anger on his older brother's face, far too innocent to believe that his brother just might possibly want to hurt him.

". . . Prince Vegeta always says these mean words but I think that deep down he doesn't really mean them. Maybe he's just trying to look more like a Prince. Or maybe he's just used to people being afraid of him so he doesn't know what to do when someone's nice to him. I have to live at the palace now and train with the Prince. He can pack a wallop I tell yea. He even killed one of my friends but I'm not mad at him, not any more. I think he's just sad that he doesn't have any friends of his own, but I gotta tell you, I am never bringing any more friends to the palace. Anyways enough about me, what are you going to do now? Are you going to go off world on missions again? Or are you going to train some more, get back into shape after the healing or test out your new strength – uarg!"

Kakarot's cheerful chatter was cut off as Radditz lost his patience with the younger Sayian and punched him. Kakarot fell to his knees while trying to keep the tears back, after all crying was not Sayian like. His guard hadn't been lowered, no it had never been up so he hadn't even expected the attack. He didn't know what hurt more, the blow to him stomach while had held as much force as Radditz could muster, or the betrayal he felt at his brother's actions.

"You have NO idea as to what you have done! You stand there all innocent and delighted in your little achievements but you have no idea what reality is like for the rest of us. You could never understand the hell my life has become simply because you are my brother." Radditz said with barely contained anger.

"I-I-I don't understand." Kakarot managed to gasp out.

"How could you?" Radditz scoffed.

Kakarot's felt his chest start to tighten in a way he'd never felt before, not even when the Prince had killed Kree. He tried to keep the tears from falling but they wouldn't listen to him and fell down his cheeks anyways. Radditz only seemed angered even more by this and lifted his brother by the collar of his armour. Radditz took note of the elite armour Kakarot wore and his face twisted into rage.

"I trained harder than anyone, was better than all the others in my class, yet I'm always having to prove that I'm not you! I'm the best third class warrior of my generation yet all they'll EVER see is the fact that I had to be saved by my low class kid brother. Ironically enough he's not a low class runt as he had us all believe. NOOOOO! He's a fucken freak who now trains with the Prince himself. I should be with the Elites! Artemus knows I can hand them all their asses on the fucken silver platter they were born on." Radditz yelled shaking Kakarot around as he ranted.

"I w-w-was just t-t-t-trying to he-help." Kakarot hiccupped through his tears.

"Pathetic! That's what you are. To think I have to be constantly living in your infamous shadow! I should just kill you now and save myself a life time of miserly and mockery!" Radditz hissed pulling Kakarot up to eye level.

"He would've killed you Radditz. I couldn't let him do that." Kakarot sobbed.

"Arg! How stupid and naïve do you get? This isn't only about the tournament! I'm talking about everything. Every day I get shit because of you. The low class runt that's pathetic even in low class standards. You'll never understand. I used to be someone. I had something going for me. Then you came along and screwed it all up." Radditz replied in frustrated anger.

He threw Kakarot to the ground and pulled up his lip in a disgusted snarl before snatching up his scouter and walking out the room, tightening his tail around his waist as he went.

Kakarot stared after him, rubbing frantically at the tears on his face. It was harder to get rid of the salty liquid and the snotty nose with the armour on. His Gi had made it simple, a wipe of the sleeve and his problem was basically solved. Now he was at a loss for what to do, both about his tears and his brother. His brother was right about one thing, he didn't understand why his brother was so mad. Kakarot couldn't help but wonder what he had done wrong. He couldn't think of anything recent other than to stop Cui from hurting Radditz any further, but why was that a problem.

He got to his feet and headed to the door, staring at his feet so that if anyone did walk past him they wouldn't see the shameful evidence of his un-Sayian-like behaviour.

"There you are! I thought I told you to be in the training room ten minutes ago!" Prince Vegeta barked from down the corridor behind him.

Kakarot winced and kept walking, not wanting to face the Prince any more than he wanted to train him. He just wasn't in the mood for the jibs and insults that were sure to come. After all his earlier tears were still evident in his puffy red eyes and nose. Another reason he didn't want to train with the Prince was because all he could see when he looked at the Prince was the image of his hand crushing Kree. It wasn't something he was likely to forget any time soon, even if he had forgiven the Prince, sort of.

"Hay! I'm talking to you! I command you to stop walking at once!" The Prince barked.

Kakarot sort of jerked to a reluctant halt, but stopped all the same. Prince Vegeta walked closer, his boots echoing through the corridor and his cape flapping with his motions. Kakarot hoped that his sniff was not heard.

"Turn around." Prince Vegeta growled impatiently.

Kakarot did as told but did not look up, letting the Prince see only the wild mess of black spikes.

"Why are you not in the training room? Better, why do I have to come look for you?" The Prince asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was on my way there." Kakarot mumbled shuffling his feet.

"Liar. The training rooms are in the opposite direction – and for Artemus' sake look at me when I'm talking to you." Prince Vegeta snapped.

Kakarot sighed before looking up. Prince Vegeta's next line of scolding died in his throat as surprise exploded on his features. Kakarot's nose was red and running. His eyes and the skin around them were red and blotchy, swollen even. His physical appearance was terrible yes, but it was the look in his eyes that had the Prince so shocked. They looked almost dead if it were not for the utter misery dominating those usually sparkling black orbs. Prince Vegeta was far too used to the usually enthusiastic flamboyant Sayian that just seemed to bounce back from anything and everything. He wasn't quite sure what to do with this Kakarot.

"What happened to you?" Prince Vegeta managed to finally say after composing his features into a blank mask.

"Nothing." Kakarot replied dully.

"You calling me stupid?" the Prince asked with narrowed eyes.

"No." Kakarot sighed, not even getting panicked by the fact that the Prince had thought he'd insulted him.

Someone had hurt Kakarot and badly. The Prince wanted to know who and how and not for the reason's he'd expect himself to. He wanted to know so that he could hunt them down and kill them. If it had been anyone else he'd be hunting that Sayian down so that he could learn and take notes for future references, but not this time.

Instead of displaying or acting on this new found sense of rage he lowered himself to Kakarot's height and studied the boy's face carefully. With the rage was also a sense of curiosity.

"I've seen tears before, rarely but not unheard of. However I have never seen tears like these. These tears represent something far deeper than that of the pains of battle. How is that possible? Is there such a thing? It's like your very essence has been turned to liquid and it's seeping through the cracks of your very being, the cracks caused by whatever has made you turn to liquid. What happens when there isn't any more liquid left?" Prince Vegeta muttered more to himself than to Kakarot who was slowly returning to life at the Prince's words.

"Radditz and I had a fight. He woke up today so I came to see him but he was angry." Kakarot whispered.

The Prince straightened and pulled away when he noticed the life back in Kakarot's eyes. That spark of passion that he enjoyed igniting and flaming higher with every opportunity. Yes, his Kakarot was something to show the galaxies and brag about. Wait, what? That runt was not his and he was certainly, most definitely NOT something to brag about. He scowled angrily, more upset with his own thoughts than anything solid, breakable. Which of course only made him more angry.

"Fine. You get the day off. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind." Prince Vegeta barked.

Kakarot bowed and continued down the corridor he'd been walking in originally. He didn't feel like going anywhere, not even to his friends. He had too much to think about.

Kakarot was utterly miserable. He didn't understand why Radditz was so angry so he didn't know how to fix the problem. It was all beginning to be too much. He needed somewhere quiet where he could just think things over, have time to accept the things happening in his life, but where?

Kakarot sighed and decided that he'd go to the balcony by the palace sleeping quarters. It was a large ugly thing that no one ever used, which made it perfect. He was surprise to see that the doors were already open when he got there but he didn't really question it as anyone could've done it.

The weather was warm, pleasantly so and the slight breeze was an added bonus. Kakarot sprawled out on the floor and let his mind wonder, not really thinking about anything. There was too much to think about, too much . . . So much had happened and everything was different now but Sayians adapted to survive, or so his father kept telling him they did. Didn't they ever just find life and all its endless troubles far too bothersome?

Kakarot was drifting off to sleep, the sun providing the warmth a blanket normally would. He was quite happy to just doze right there but a tiny shuffle made him instantly alert. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even realised that someone else was on the balcony too.

He sat up and looked around, his curious wide black eyes falling on a tiny figure in the corner, sitting in a lonely patch of sunlight. Their head was buried in their arms and slight barely there sounds of sniffing could be heard.

Kakarot got to his feet to approach the other slightly smaller Sayian boy. The other Sayian didn't even seem to know that he was there until Kakarot knelt down on the ground and said as friendly and softly as he could, "Hello."

The boy startled and looked up. He looked worse when he cried than what Kakarot did, well that or he had been crying so long it looked just plain terrible. He sniffed and stared at Kakarot with wide terrified eyes. Kakarot cocked his head to the side as he studied the spiky black hair with the bangs in the front. The Prince had bangs but he had long since started to smooth them up into his flame like spike of hair. Suppose it made him appear older. This Sayian seemed to be the same age as Kakarot, maybe a year younger or so. His skin was pale, chalky and sickly looking. Was he a defect? If he was then why was he still alive? Kakarot had thought all defect Sayians were killed. He glanced down at the armour the boy wore and his eyes grew wide before he looked up and grinned.

"You're Tarble aren't you?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Tarble nodded silently still staring at Kakarot like he was a ghost.

Tarble's armour while elite in appearance was not as elite as Prince Vegeta's and his royal crest wasn't red either. It was also slightly smaller and grey. He did however have a necklace that resembled the one the King wore.

"I'm Kakarot."

"I know." Tarble whispered with a sniff.

"You do? Well gee that's cool." Kakarot replied with a laugh while rubbing the back of his head.

Tarble smiled despite himself.

"So what's up that you're sitting all the way over here?" Kakarot asked careful to avoid crying and fighting sensing that they must be sore topics for the younger Prince.

"Bad day." Tarble muttered.

"Yeah? Me too. Mind if I sit with you?" Kakarot asked.

Tarble shifter over and Kakarot sat down next to him. He then started to chatter on about nothing really. At one point Kakarot yelled in excitement and pointed out an odd shaped cloud in the red sky. Tarble thought it was just a cloud and Kakarot realised that the boy had no imagination, no sense of the unknown and mystical. He spent the remainder of their time together trying to show him the pictures in the clouds that he saw every day, the ones that weren't really there but were there all the same.

Tarble seemed to lighten up some but he still looked miserable. Perhaps it was what he was generally like. Kakarot wasn't sure since he'd never really heard much about the other Prince. He was always a hushed up topic. Then there was the fact that he himself hadn't really been around other Sayians much to even have heard all that much in the first place. It seemed to Kakarot though that the little Sayian was very sad.

"Perhaps we should go to the dining hall. It's getting to be that time." Tarble muttered.

"What? It's not even sunset. Everyone always goes at sunset." Kakarot asked in surprise.

"Exactly why I go before sunset." Tarble muttered almost darkly, getting to his feet.

Kakarot frowned and followed him. Tarble was an odd Sayian, like himself but he also appeared to be his opposite. He slouched when he walked. He was clumsy and muttered under his breath a lot. Kakarot glanced at the muttering boy in concern. Just as much as he wanted Prince Vegeta to laugh, he wanted Prince Tarble to be happy too. Oh yeah and some plants. Yes he was going to do it, somehow.

"Hay Tarble you go on a head. I need to go and get something. I'll be back real quick." Kakarot said changing direction.

Tarble just nodded absently, muttering to himself as he walked to the dining hall. Kakarot watched him sadly for a minute before jumping out of the window and flying to a field on the edge of the city. He landed and looked around at the purplish plants growing around him. He then picked up a large rock and blasted a hole in the middle but not all the way through. He then put some soil in the hole before carefully uprooting a seedling and placing it in the soil. The plant while only purple leaves now would one day bloom flowers that were the palest blue. For now though, it needed to grow.

Kakarot smiled, picked up the rock with his plant and took off into the sky. He landed on the balcony he had been on earlier and set the plant down where Tarble had been sitting.

The sun was starting to set so he went to the dining hall. As he walked there he hummed to himself. Sure he still had Radditz to worry about, but it seemed that Tarble needed him too. He wished Kree were there. That little fluffy ball of mischief had always made him feel better.

Kakarot rounded the last corner just as a shriek of pain echoed out of the dining hall. Kakarot froze in place, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. He jumped when there was another, pathetic cry. The cry was accompanied by cruel cold laughter and Kakarot hurried forwards, afraid at what he might see.

Nappa was holding onto Tarble's tail while the younger Prince tried to get away. He didn't appear to be as crippled by the contact with his tail but it did cause him pain if the tears on his scrunched up features were anything to go by.

Everyone was watching the display, everyone except the King who was staring at his food in stony silence. Every time Tarble made any sound of pain, a whimper, a cry, a moan, the King only got angrier but he never did anything. Prince Vegeta wasn't even there.

"You leave him alone!" Kakarot yelled storming up to Nappa, a Sayian he had never really liked to begin with.

Kakarot's outburst was met with more laughter, more so that what Tarble had received. Nappa, second in power after the King, was a force to be terrified of but Kakarot wasn't.

"Or you'll do what?" Nappa asked in amusement before tugging on Tarble's tail once more.

None of the elites at the palace took him very seriously and it hadn't been an issue, until now. Kakarot narrowed his eyes at the challenge. He was a Sayian after all and he did recognise the fact that this society was largely ruled by one's ability to fight. He'd have to make Nappa listen in a way he didn't want to but Nappa deserved it.

"Last chance, let him go." Kakarot warned.

"Ohkay kid. I'll let him go." Nappa said with a shrug before lifting Tarble by the tail and swinging him around full force and letting go like he was some sort of puppet.

Kakarot reacted without thinking. He phased out of sight and reappeared in front of Tarble before he could hit the unrelenting wall and get even more hurt. Instead Tarble's momentum forced Kakarot to absorb the blow as they were both slammed against the wall. Tarble sort of oofed and Kakarot just clenched his teeth. It wasn't ideal but it was better.

Kakarot stayed hovering in the air but Tarble started to fall, too weak by now to even support himself. Kakarot caught him and lowered to the floor slowly before setting the younger Prince down carefully. Tarble was whimpering in pain even though he was clearly trying not to.

Kakarot straightened and looked up with anger burning in his gaze. Nappa, who had been smirking, deflated a little at the look of seething rage on Kakarot's face. Kakarot crouched down into his own style of fighting stance, preparing to hit Nappa as hard and as fast as he possible could.

"Nappa. . ." A voice like death whispered coldly yet seductively. It was the kind of tone a dangerous person used when they addressed someone who had done them wrong and were about to be punished but they still pretended to be friendly anyways.

Nappa deflated even more since it hadn't been Kakarot who had used that tone. Kakarot straightened when he sensed the familiar Ki signal. Prince Vegeta walked into the room, a glare on his features that made all the other's he'd worn seem like giggles.

"What did I tell you about my brother and his tail?" Prince Vegeta demanded in the same dangerously seductive tone yet his features remained plastered with that glare.

Nappa didn't reply but a tremor ran down his spin and his face whitened. Prince Vegeta looked down and very casually, very gently tugged Nappa's tail from around his waist.

"I thought I said that my brother and his tail were not for your entertainment. I thought I said that if you touched him like that again you'd lose your own tail, didn't I." Prince Vegeta stated casually yet still making even Kakarot shiver at the coldness in his voice.

Prince Vegeta didn't wait for an answer to the question he asked that wasn't a question. He simply yanked. It didn't look like he'd expended a lot of effort but Nappa was spun around and his tail jerked free from its attachment to his lower back. Nappa stumbled before falling to the floor withering in silent agony. Prince Vegeta grunted before tossing the now useless furry appendage at Nappa.

"Get out of my sight before I decide to punish you for your other crime. Just in case you're too slow to get it I also told you not to hurt the runt and through your actions with Tarble you did." Prince Vegeta snarled in command forcing Nappa to get to his feet and stumble out the room.

Prince Vegeta then turned to Kakarot, studying him. Then he was sitting down and starting to eat as though nothing had happened. Kakarot realised that Prince Vegeta had seen a situation that had affected him emotionally. Since he'd never known anything but violence, that is how he retaliated. He probably didn't even understand his need to protect his younger brother. Who knew how he reasoned his actions to himself.

Kakarot looked at Tarble who was slowly getting to his feet. Kakarot went to catch him when it looked like he was going to fall again. He led the smaller Sayian to the table they shared in the corner and sat down to eat himself.

Sometimes seeing the hurt in others made you realise that yours weren't so severe after all.

**On a side note:**

**I read a rather skinny but interesting book the other day to try and get my mind off mathematics and onto to the elusive idea of sleep. Anyways the book introduced some rather interesting concepts to think about. So I compiled a list of all the questions I think from time to time, adding the ones from the book. While I know that no one is actually going to review the answers to me I thought it might be nice to share. **

**What does music mean to you?  
>When is someone considered mature?<br>What is normal?  
>What is love?<br>How do you show that you care? (Not just physically)  
>Use one negative or positive word to describe love?<br>Is perfection obtainable?**

**I think in the greater scheme of things, the society we live in, these questions are rather interesting. Just a thought. **


	9. Chapter 9 Prince Tarble, a weakness?

**WARNING! Extreme OOCness for Vegeta. Oh no! O.o (Actually I think it fluctuates a bit in this chapter.) This chapter is kind of long but I wanted to keep the idea in one chapter. I suppose I could've split it but why should I force you, my lovely readers, to wait for the next chapter.**

**I have a confession to make, it's something that's been playing in my mind for a while now and it makes me sad and angry as well as to be honest completely frustrated. Let me know if you feel the same way. I feel that this story is dropping in quality. If you think back to the first chapter or two and then to the recent ones, this story is dropping isn't it? Let me know guys ASAP!**

**On to the chapter! **

**Last thing I promise, if I introduced a new species of beings that live on Planet Vegeta, should I go in depth with their lives and habits or not since it would be irrelevant to the story and only a one chapter thing. **

Chapter 9.

Kakarot just couldn't sleep. Thoughts of that day kept replaying themselves over and over like a stuck record and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get them to stop. He sighed and rolled over once more. He was now able to see the moon but it was as always only a crescent, a thin sliver of pale yellow in the sky. It was odd really. There'd hardly be a moon and then just one night it would happen. A full moon would almost always blindside them and you'd better pray you were one of the ones transforming. Not even the Sayians could protect themselves from their own rampant attacks. The cities were all relatively new too. Every full moon they had to be rebuilt. It was a pain really but it had to be done. Kakarot sighed and tried to calm his mind once more.

But . . . Radditz's words were all he could hear and Prince Tarble's defeated slumped form was all he could see. Radditz's words began to blend in with the pathetic screams of pain from Prince Tarble as well as the quiet mutterings. The images began to shift and change as well. Kree accompanied by the crack as each bone was crushed, Prince Vegeta ruthlessly tearing off Nappa's tail, his father lying beaten and broken in a pool of his own blood, Cui crushing an already crushed Sayian. Kakarot clasped his hands over his ears and tried to block out the noise that was quickly becoming too much but the noise was coming from within him and by blocking his ears it only got worse. He squeezed his eyes shut but the images changed faster and faster, starting to repeat themselves and making him dizzy.

With a cry of desperation he flung himself out the bed only to land with an oaf on the floor. He didn't know what to do but his body automatically began to search out a Ki signal. Normally he'd go to his father but Bardock had yet to return. He was surprised when his mind registered Prince Vegeta as his saving grace.

Kakarot got to his feet and walked out the door. The lights in the palace were subdued but they weren't off entirely. Kakarot was even more surprised when he realised that the Prince was in a part of the palace that he'd never been in before, not that Kakarot had noticed anyways. The guards watched him silently and it was a little creepy. They would never hurt him and of that he was almost sure of.

It was due to the silence that shrouded the palace like a heavy blanket that Kakarot began to hear voices long before he reached the destination from which they came. There was also no guards here, none.

"I will be there next time." Prince Vegeta's voice said firmly but it was hushed.

"You're not there all the time Vegeta. Some of them still get me." A small voice whined.

"Hay I said I'll be there so I'll be there." Prince Vegeta replied in his usual gruff tone.

"Ohkay." Was the sniffed reply.

Kakarot saw a door that was semi open. He could see Prince Vegeta kneeling on the floor talking to someone he couldn't see just yet. Kakarot took a few more steps as quietly as he could and the other person became visible. Prince Tarble sat on a bed, his eyes shining with unshed tears. With his last reply a single tear slipped down his cheek.

"Enough of that. Sayians don't cry." Prince Vegeta said firmly again and to Kakarot it sounded like he was being protective.

"But Vegeta, they DO cry. I'm crying right now so stop telling me they don't." Prince Tarble insisted with a pout.

Kakarot expected a snort, a snarled snappish reply but instead Prince Vegeta just sighed and said with the tiniest of smiles, "Well I can't fault you there. You should get some rest."

Prince Tarble nodded and lay down. He sighed and closed his eyes as Prince Vegeta stood and covered him with a blanket.

"Vegeta?" Prince Tarble murmured sleepily.

"Yes Tarble." Prince Vegeta replied softly.

"I know that you worry about Frieza. You shouldn't cause I know that you'll beat him. I know you will." Prince Tarble replied.

"Damn straight." Prince Vegeta replied with a smirk.

He tucked the blanket in and smoothed the hair away from Prince Tarble's forehead. He then started to sing so softly that even from where he stood, Kakarot could barely hear him. Prince Vegeta's deep voice suited the song far more than the high tones it had been composed in. It was a very old Sayian song, a lullaby from before the destruction of the Tuffles. Mothers would sing it to their children in the harsh desert lands from where they had originally come from. How did Prince Vegeta know it?

Kakarot walked into the room when Prince Vegeta had stopped singing, had been silent for a while.

"I didn't know you cared so much about him." Kakarot said quietly.

"No one does and I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way. A good warrior has no attachments and I'd hate for my brother to pay from my mistake." Prince Vegeta replied turning to walk from the room.

"So you're not mad that I know?" Kakarot asked walking with him.

"You of all the Sayians in this galaxy would understand. However I might be mad tomorrow." Prince Vegeta answered carefully closing the door.

"My father would." Kakarot muttered.

"I'm sure he'd try to but he is still a Sayian. He cares for you because you are something he's had to adapt to and he has grown fond of you." The Prince replied.

"You're wrong about that." Kakarot replied with a yawn.

"What are you doing out here anyways?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"I couldn't sleep." Kakarot muttered with another yawn.

"It doesn't look like you have a problem now."

The had been walking as they had spoken but Prince Vegeta suddenly held out and arm to stop Kakarot from walking any further. Prince Vegeta was a far more attentive Sayian and years of growing up with people trying to kill him had taught him never to relax. Kakarot was confused at first but he heard it soon enough.

"I can't believe he actually meant that order. I still can't walk right." Nappa's grumpy tone came from further up.

"You should've known Nappa. That Prince is a spoilt catastrophe. It's too late to do anything about him now. He's far too powerful. I suppose that killing Frieza is a dirty job and someone has to do it so why not that brat. We can all kill him together afterwards." A Sayian replied.

"We kill him and then Artemus forbid that pathetic weakling Kid brother of his becomes King. I will not serve that mongrel." Nappa grumbled.

"Hold on. Sayian law dictates that the strongest Sayian gets the throne. If my calculations are correct that would be you."

"I can't be King of anything without a tail you moron!" Nappa half yelled but was shushed by the other Sayian.

"Well then who's next?" The other Sayian asked.

"I'm not sure but it has to be an elite." Nappa replied.

"Actually it's a low class Sayian. Even more surprising is that after the low class it's a third class. You should really do your homework when planning a hostile takeover." Prince Vegeta said with a smirk, rounding the last corner.

"Prince Vegeta?" the unknown Sayian stuttered.

"Don't look so surprised. You should've picked somewhere else to have this little discussion. Your bad I guess. Now do I kill you now or kill you later for treason?" Prince Vegeta said casually with a shrug.

"If you're going to kill me at least tell me this, who is the low class." Nappa said, standing tall without fear.

"Figure it out for yourself. Use those brains of yours for once. Now get out of here before I change my mind." Prince Vegeta snapped adding as they walked away, "I'd watch my backs if I were you."

"Why did you let them live?" Kakarot asked quietly.

"Sometimes one has to have enemies around. It keeps you on your toes and they are now in my debt. I could've killed them but I didn't so they have to repay me." Prince Vegeta replied, "Besides it's far more fun to watch them squirm."

"Who are the low and third class warriors?" Kakarot asked after a moment of consideration.

"You don't know? You of course. The third class however is one that not many know of I myself am not even entirely sure . . . It's your father." Prince Vegeta replied.

"Cool. My dad could be King." Kakarot said beaming with pride.

"Yeah right, that was all assuming that I was dead. I'm not and I won't be any time soon so don't count on it. Now get to your own room. This conversation and the others you witnessed tonight didn't happen." Prince Vegeta snapped but it wasn't the harsh tone he usually used.  
>"Ohkay. Just so you know though, I like you a lot better when you're like this." Kakarot replied thoughtfully.<p>

"It isn't going to happen again. As you can see I have to be the spoilt catastrophe they so despise. If I showed just a moment of weakness . . ." Prince Vegeta sighed, his voice trailing off.

"Good night my Prince." Kakarot replied quietly before going back to his room.

* * *

><p>Kakarot bounced into Prince Vegeta's room the next morning. He had decided that Prince Vegeta needed to be taught a lesson in humility but the only way he'd ever achieve that goal was to give the Prince what he wanted at the same time. Why did he need a lesson in humility? As punishment for killing Kree and so that he could learn that making everyone hate him wasn't the only way to show that he was capable of living up to their expectations.<p>

"Are you up yet?" Kakarot yelled happily before jumping onto the bed, careful not to land on the two Sayian females.

"What the? Get out!" Vegeta yelled.

"MORNIG SUNSHINE! Rise and shine, we got a big day ahead of us so get up." Kakarot replied sitting on the Prince's chest.

Prince Vegeta looked ready to throttle him but he shoved a pillow over his head instead.

"Oh so now you're in the mood to train." He said sarcastically from under the pillow making it sound all muffled.

"Get up already! I got up ages ago. I was nice enough to let you sleep this long." Kakarot whined with a pout.

"Are you sure he's a Sayian and not some inbred Tuffle in disguise?" Prince Vegeta asked, seeming to address no one or the other Sayian females.

Kakarot then started to bounce and Prince Vegeta immediately threw the pillow across the room so that he could glare at Kakarot who only laughed. For someone who went to bed really late last night he had waaaaay to much energy. Prince Vegeta then rolled suddenly, catching Kakarot off guard and ending up flattening him underneath him to the bed. Kakarot squirmed and giggled.

"Get off." He giggled, squirming to try and get out from under the Prince who had made himself a dead weight.

Prince Vegeta ignored Kakarot's giggled protests, closing his eyes and started to doze once again. His hand flapped around, trying to find Kakarot's mouth so that he could silence it.

Kakarot stopped squirming and panted tiredly instead while trying to stop laughing. Prince Vegeta relaxed further and Kakarot began to wiggle once more. Prince Vegeta tensed up and his eyes flew open when Kakarot's tail brushed over parts that it shouldn't have. Kakarot froze too, realising just what the Prince was wearing, which was absolutely nothing.

"I think I'm awake now." Prince Vegeta stated while sitting up, the blanket pooling around him, covering him.

Kakarot was still frozen as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. He shrugged it off though as purely accidental and resumed his playful behaviour. He sprang at the Prince who ducked out the way. Kakarot landed on the floor with a peal of laughter.

"You get out while I get dressed." Prince Vegeta said.

Instead of leaving the bed he pulled one of the still surprisingly sluggish female Sayians towards himself. Kakarot blushed before quickly getting out the room.

* * *

><p>The Prince saw Kakarot practically bouncing with impatience in the dining hall. In his had he held a bag. When he saw the Prince he grinned and pulled him closer. Prince Vegeta snarled before yanking his hand back and reaching over to grab something to eat. The fruit he had picked up was yanked from his hand and Kakarot was talking once more.<p>

"Not now, there's no time for that. If you hadn't taken so long to get here then I wouldn't have a problem with it but we have to leave now if we're going to get there in time." Kakarot scolded.

The bag in his hand had better have food in it. Kakarot skipped to a window and jumped out of it with a laugh of pure delight. He really needed to get out. Mostly he needed a break. Prince Vegeta was forced to follow him.

"Where are you taking me?" Prince Vegeta yelled over the wind.

"Wait and see. You haven't been out much have you?" Kakarot replied strapping the bag to his back.

"I have more important things to do. I have responsibilities." The Prince huffed.

"Oh Frieza's not going anywhere any time soon. You told me to assist you in your training so that's what I'm going to do. The Sayian training isn't going to get you any further than you are now unless we strapped you down, beat you to within an inch of your life, shoved you in a tank and did it all over again when you'd healed until you were strong enough. That only works so well." Kakarot explained stopping for a moment.

"What's your point?" Prince Vegeta asked stopping as well.  
>"We're going to train my way. We'll return to the palace every day, sometimes not but pretty much every day, and return to the training the next day." Kakarot said starting to fly forward once more.<p>

"Stop ordering me around clown." Prince Vegeta snapped finally losing patience with the younger Sayian.  
>"Do you want my help or not?" Kakarot sighed.<p>

Prince Vegeta remained stonily silent. He did however continue to fly in the direction that they had been going in. Nothing of last night had been mentioned by a silent mutual agreement and perhaps nothing would ever be said. Kakarot didn't mind so much. He was glad that he had been trusted enough to be told Prince Vegeta's greatest secret. He sure as hell was going to keep it a secret no matter what.

"Why do we have to return to the palace each day?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"For endurance purposes and it's kind of a warm up. I mean it's pretty far out. We can also practice aerial fighting. I'm sure you're lacking in that department since you're always inside." Kakarot replied.

"I'm not weak!" Prince Vegeta protested.

"I never said that." Kakarot replied with a laugh.

Prince Vegeta just growled. Kakarot flew at a very measured pace and it irritated the Prince. Whenever he flew faster to indicate that he was growing impatient Kakarot would just ignore it forcing the Prince to slow down once more.

Gradually the bustling Sayian cities grew less and less, the towns and cities that the Tuffles had built started to spread out, become few and far between until eventually there weren't any at all. Sayians didn't always live in those cities. Prince Vegeta was surprised by the thought. Just a few decades ago, three at most, an entire massacre took place right in the very cities they now lived in.

Prince Vegeta wondered if there were any ruins left from their previous dwellings. There had to be. They hadn't been that savage. Tuffle technology hadn't caused them to advance so much had it? After all it had been his father that had led the rebellion. His father had been in his late teens at the time of the rebellion and had been in his early twenties at the conquest. So in reality their race had still been the savage primal beasts of the wild just one generation ago. Prince Vegeta was forced to consider the fact that they owed the Tuffles everything they were, everything they had. They were excellent fighters only because it had been an age old passion but they were even better now because they had advanced under the suggestion of one Sayian, and that suggestion had been to kill the Tuffles.

A dark blob discoloured the red horizon. It was hazy and unclear but it was definitely there. Prince Vegeta shook off his thoughts as though he'd never had them and concentrated on the blob. Only now did Kakarot fly faster. He was also surprisingly serious.

As they got closer the Prince saw that it was a very large and very dark forest. The trees looked old, ancient even. An Oozaru wasn't even that big. Kakarot slowed down and came to a stop just before he passed the first line of trees.

"This is the Brutaliana Forest. I need you to remember something, and you have to remember it no matter what, even above your pride. Better yet, there are no Sayians in there so leave your pride out here." Kakarot stated lowly, seriously.

"What are you on about runt?" Prince Vegeta asked.

Kakarot took a deep breath, closing his eyes and even wincing as he spoke, "Every time I come here I leave with just that little bit more respect for the world inside there. It's like a whole new Planet, a different world, a more dangerous one. You have to remember that this isn't the palace anymore. You're in their world now and you best respect it. There's a lot of things in there that could kill you, painfully as well as quickly. I'm not saying this to try and undermine you, I mean it with every fibre of my being. I DON'T want to be the one to tell your father that you're dead so don't make me."

Prince Vegeta didn't really listen to him but the seriousness with which Kakarot said the words did sink in because he didn't rush head first into the forest just to prove the younger Sayian wrong.

"So what is the lesson we're going to learn in there?" Prince Vegeta asked despite himself, feeling very inferior to the large world in front of him.

He could sense the danger in that place. Every instinct screamed at him to run and that wasn't an instinct the Sayians triggered often, if ever. What was this place?

"Danger is everywhere and in potentially anything so you have to be able to sense it before it comes as well as react to it, whatever it may be. This is a very good place to learn that. It's also good for if you're stranded on another planet you might want to know how to survive on it." Kakarot replied with a shrug.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Prince Vegeta snapped impatiently before hovering to the ground and walking past the first line of trees.

Kakarot glanced over his shoulder almost wistfully, towards the civilization they had left behind, before hurrying in after the Prince. After all someone had to watch his back.

"Hay clown, isn't this where you got that fuzz ball dust mite from?" The Prince asked loudly from up ahead.

Kakarot tried to tread carefully, stepping around the vegetation. Prince Vegeta just walked where ever was convenient. Kakarot winced when the Prince stepped on a thick red vine with goldish thorns. The minute the Prince removed his boot a very low hissing noise filled the air. Kakarot hung back, keeping his eyes on the vine. Prince Vegeta stopped as well but only because he was impatient with Kakarot's lack of an answer.

"LOOK OUT!" Kakarot yelled just as the vine whipped up and snapped through the air.

Prince Vegeta managed to just get out of the way and watched in stunned amazement as the vine retreated into denser vegetation. He stumbled back slightly and bumped into Kakarot.

"I told you to be careful in here. And yes, this is where Kree was from." Kakarot said sternly, choosing to take the lead instead.

Kakarot eyed a tree and hopped onto the trunk, his tail uncurling around his waist for balance. Prince Vegeta watched him silently for a moment before reluctantly following his lead.

"It's safer to climb the trees then what it is to walk on the ground. Besides this helps you to learn how to use your surroundings to get where you want instead of just relying on the ability to fly." Kakarot explained sitting on a branch while he waited for the Prince to catch up.

"Where are we going anyway? That's assuming you actually have a direction in mind." Prince Vegeta grumbled.

"Further in. The safest part of the Forest is in the centre. It's also the most beautiful part." Kakarot replied springing to another branch.

The Prince grunted in reply before jumping to another branch himself. He was forced to follow Kakarot as the younger Sayian knew where to go. To be honest, the Prince hardly knew which way was up let alone where the palace was.

"Look out!" Kakarot yelled just as the Prince reached for a branch.

A branch that suddenly wasn't there anymore. He was so surprised that he landed with an oaf on the floor before he even registered that he was falling.

"Vegeta get up!" Kakarot yelled jumping back to where the Prince was.

He was so hurried that he hadn't even used the Prince's title when he yelled. Prince Vegeta huffed and sprang to his feet. It was surprisingly more strained than what he had thought it would've been. Kakarot held out his hand towards the Prince.

"Quick, take it." he said desperately.

"I don't know what your problem is, I just landed on the floor." The Prince huffed.

Suddenly it felt like his none existent breakfast had been shoved back up his throat as his body sunk low into the ground. In a matter of a split second the Prince was buried to his waist in the ground. It felt like his lower half was being compressed. He gapped up at Kakarot in utter surprise.

Kakarot's white aura blazed around him as he wrapped his arm around what was left of the Prince's waist and pulled. The sucked in the ground this caused only applied more pressure to the Prince's lower half and he grunted.

The scouter the Prince still wore started to bleep rapidly as Kakarot's aura flared brighter and further. With an enormous heave the Prince came free and they both shot upwards.

The numbers didn't make sense . . . Kakarot landed on a branch thick enough for him to use as a bed and let out a sigh of relief. Prince Vegeta found himself staring at the younger Sayian in amazement.

"Your power is higher than thought." He muttered.

Kakarot glanced at him but said nothing about it, instead saying, "Ready to move again?"

"Yes and don't even do that again. I'm not some child that needs rescuing." Prince Vegeta snapped getting to his feet.

As Kakarot got to his own feet the Prince glanced at the ground again. It was deceptively smooth once more. He shook his head and looked away.

"There's a clearing up ahead. We can rest there." Kakarot offered meekly.

The Prince wanted to snap that he didn't need rest but the idea that the bag on Kakarot's back just might contain food kept him silent. Kakarot once more led the way through the trees. The Prince now saw that each branch that Kakarot jumped to was carefully chosen and they even looked different. The one he had been aiming for before it had vanished was a slightly different colour now that he thought about it. It was the reason it had caught his attention in the first place.

Kakarot laughed before jumping high, flipping through the air and landing on the ground with a soft thump. He turned back to the Prince with a grin, his tail even wagging slightly.

Prince Vegeta scowled at him before jumping to the ground as well. He looked around and was surprised to see a small stream running by the edge of the clearing. He walked cautiously towards it and bent down to examine it closer.

"Looks innocent enough doesn't it?" Kakarot asked knowingly.

Prince Vegeta angled slightly so that he could see the younger Sayian. He was kneeling on the grassy terrain and opening the bag. He pulled out a roll of bread and broke off a piece before walking to the Prince. Kakarot handed the larger part of the bread roll to the Prince and winked.

"Watch."

Kakarot then threw the bit of bread into the water. It bobbed once, twice. A clawed hand surfaced and snatched the bread, leaving behind a ripple.

"Now you can drink. They'll leave you alone." Kakarot said drinking water himself.

The Prince grunted, already having devoured the bread when Kakarot wasn't watching, and bent to scoop a gloved hand into the icy water. It tasted different too. It was fresher, sweeter. It was a bit weird drinking from a stream where untold creatures lived in but Kakarot had drunk from it first so if he died at least the Prince would have the pleasure of watching it.

"So what do you think of this place so far?" Kakarot asked going to the bag again.

"Not as bad as you made out." Prince Vegeta grunted.

"You haven't been paying attention have you?" Kakarot asked with a laugh.

He started to hand food to the Prince. Conversation didn't continue until the food had been eaten.

"See that flower over there?" Kakarot asked pointing to a purple and white flower. It was larger than any flower had any right to be. "And see that animal there, it's right there, near the flower." Kakarot continued pointing out a rat like creature that looked sort of like a squirrel too.

As the Prince watched the creature scampered down a tree and closer to the plant. When it was close enough the plant whipped out and swallowed it.

"Did that plant just eat that rat?" The Prince asked blandly.

"Yes, but keep watching." Kakarot replied.

The plant sort of jerked before instantly shrivelling up and withering. A strange hissing noise came from the shrivelled plant before it exploded in a cloud of dust. A brown crazed fuzz ball landed on the ground near the would be plant. Prince Vegeta blinked when he saw the puffed up hissing rat like squirrel.

"Those little things are poisonous and very vicious. Unlike Kree their poison kills." Kakarot stated before turning to the Prince, "See any other threats, animals in particular?"

"No. Besides the freaks in the water."

"You sure? You're very unobservant you know." Kakarot asked.

"Yes I'm sure!" Prince Vegeta snapped.

"Oh then I suppose you're not too bothered about the ginormous one behind you." Kakarot stated casually.

"There is nothing behind—" Prince Vegeta started, spinning on his heel but the sentence died in his throat as a blob of think stinking drool dripped onto his shoulder guard.

Warm breath and more drool whooshed into his face as his ear drums rang with the piercing growl that was more like a whine. Fangs larger than his arms and definitely thicker. That was all he was able to take in before he was suddenly yanked away and up into a tree. Kakarot was staring in wide eyes amazement at the green scally creature below them.

"What the hell is that?" The Prince demanded.

"I don't know but it sure is a looker." Kakarot replied with a whistle.

The creature was staring up at them, doing that high pitched growl thing again.

"You know this is a great training exercise." Kakarot mused looking at the Prince who was staring down at the creature with excitement and determination.

"Yeah, so?" Prince Vegeta replied.

"Well think about it. When you fight with other Sayians you know everything about them. You know what their limits are, you know their strengths and weaknesses. You know, as a Sayian yourself, exactly what they are capable of so therefore you have a way of countering everything that they throw at you. That down there however. Neither of us knows what it can do and correct me if I'm wrong but when we concur other planets, aren't the beings on them completely different from Sayians?" Kakarot explained further.

Prince Vegeta did not want to admit that the kid had a point so he simply grunted and leaped from the branch. The high pitched whine changed to a roar that sounded too much like a challenge, and the Prince of Sayians did not ignore a challenge. No matter what. He collided with the beast, his momentum forcing it to the ground.

"You had a head start so that doesn't count." Kakarot yelled with a grin.

Prince Vegeta just rolled his eyes. He wasn't there to impress the clown. The impact of the beast slamming into the ground sent him further into the air. He landed in a crouched position not far away with his tail whipping back and forth. He turned back to the beast when it roared and saw that it was getting back to its feet. He grinned in bloodlust induced delight before jumping up and charging at the beast once more.

"Hay, watch out! That thing might bite." Kakarot yelled cheerfully.

Prince Vegeta scowled, his boots pushing the bottom fangs down and his gloved hands pushing the top fangs up. No shit the thing bit!

"Oh sure Kakarot, these things are just for show." The Prince yelled back sarcastically.

"You never know. Kree didn't eat meat." Kakarot yelled back almost seriously.

"Is everything you're ever going to say going to refer back to that fuzz ball?" Prince Vegeta demanded angrily.

"Well that depends." Kakarot replied innocently.

"On what?"

"No need to take that tone. It depends on whether or not it's irritating you." Kakarot replied.

Prince Vegeta got tired of the pushing contest and shrunk himself as small as he could and as fast as he could before shooting away from the beast's fangs and his horrific odour.

"That smell is enough to make even a Sayian puke." The Prince muttered under his breath before yelling up to Kakarot, "And if it is annoying me?"

"Then too bad. You shouldn't have killed him." Kakarot replied more immature than anything else.

"He bit me." Prince Vegeta yelled back while dodging claws, "And left me paralysed for two days! As the Prince of the Sayians, a Prince expected to kill that lizard fool Frieza I cannot allow my race to believe me incapable of destroying a simple dust mite."

Kakarot did not reply as the Prince tired of the clearly unchallenging fight and delivered a blow to the beast's head that either killed it or knocked it unconscious. Neither bothered to check.

Prince Vegeta hovered up to Kakarot's height with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched as the younger Sayian seemed lost in thought.

"They treat you unfairly." Kakarot muttered.

"I am the strongest Sayian there ever was. How is their expectation not fair?"

"You don't really know what you're up against, Prince." Kakarot said very quietly.

"Oh and you do. I will soon be strong enough. I will make the ascension and fulfil my destiny." Prince Vegeta replied with heavy conviction.

"How do you know?" Kakarot asked.

"What do you mean 'how do I know'? I have been told all my life that I am destined to be the greatest warrior that ever lived so I will be." Prince Vegeta snapped.

"So you don't know for certain?" Kakarot replied in confusion.

"I just told you! It's my destiny." Prince Vegeta yelled getting impatient.

"But Prince Vegeta you don't know." Kakarot whispered, his eyes starting to tear up.

"Know what?"

"Nothing. Never mind. We should get going." Kakarot said quickly, his eyes blinking rapidly to dispel the forming tears.

He sprang up, glanced at the now snoring beast and started to hop from branch to branch once more.

Prince Vegeta was left no choice but to follow. That boy was acting really strangely. Maybe the stress of the past couple of days had finally gotten to him and he was starting to lose it. That was definitely a possibility.

After two hours of silence and more dodging of seemingly harmless threats Kakarot held up a hand to show that he wanted the Prince to stop. Prince Vegeta landed next to Kakarot and mimicked his crouched position. Kakarot appeared to be listening intently.

"What are you doing now runt?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"Just be patient." Kakarot replied distantly.

He leaned forward carefully before cupping his hands together and using them to make a weird low whistling sound. Then he went back to looking like he was waiting. Prince Vegeta just scowled and shook his head.

After a minute of growing impatience a low whistle floated back to them. Kakarot grinned and hopped down, landed on the ground and started to run. Prince Vegeta Jumped down after him and started to run as well, surprised by Kakarot's strength and agility.

"They took a while to reply, they must be wary of you!" Kakarot's yelled statement floated back to the Prince as they ran.

Who the heck were they? Kakarot stopped running but he hadn't slowed down one bit before he stopped so he continued sliding through the trees.

"Wheeeeee!" he yelled throwing his hands up.

He lost his balance as they entered a clearing and fell with a chuckled oaf on his butt. He looked at the Prince's face before bursting into peals of laughter.

"So suddenly it's safe to run recklessly on the ground?" Prince Vegeta sneered.

"We are now in the heart of the forest. There's a new lot of rules here." Kakarot replied getting to his feet.

"How is it that you know all this junk anyways?" Prince Vegeta grumbled.

"It's amazing what you'll learn when you just shut the yell up and look at what's around you instead of spending all your time trying to beat the stuffing out of each other." Kakarot snapped back, not at all liking the insults that the Prince was suddenly throwing. What had gotten into him?

"Hn." The Prince just grunted crossing his arms and staring darkly at trees, the bushes, the rocks, anything but Kakarot.

"Come on, they're waiting." Kakarot said switching back to his happy go lucky attitude.

"Whatever." Prince Vegeta grunted, forced once again to walk after the low class runt as he led the way once AGAIN.

Kakarot couldn't understand that he had started to make the Prince question his own ability. He had made the Prince start to question what he had known all his life to be fact. He was the once destined to make the ascension. He was the one to defeat Frieza and become the greatest warrior in the galaxy. He was the Prince of all Sayians and he was destined for brilliance, to shine brighter than the stars.

But then . . . why was his strength challenged by a low class runt. He couldn't even call the brat a weakling.

Kakarot also couldn't know that this new training agreement was hell for the Prince. He had never felt so reliant on anyone in his life and it angered him to the point of rage. How had it come to the point where he was forced to rely on a low class subservient reject? He was a Prince, a PRINCE, destined for more than mere greatness. He was born to outshine the sun itself. Now . . . he was shamefully reduced to taking orders from this mongrel just so that he could take a walk through some trees. Trees?

"We're here!" Kakarot yelled in happiness.

What angered the Prince the most, was the fact that, yes, he needed the boy. In more ways than just guiding him through a dangerous forest.


	10. Chapter 10 The innocent and damaged

**In response to the questions I placed at the end of chapter 8 let me just say wow! I didn't think anyone would actually respond and to all those awesome people who did thank you. Those were some beautiful answers. Hmmm maybe I should put a question at the end of every chapter? Hahahaha. Yeah that might get irritating for some people. What do you guys think? Let me know.**

**To irishsaiyan21: Yes I have been thinking of a time jump but I want to go into their training first. It seems a bit odd to explain in detail something they would have been doing for a while, don't you think. Also Prince Vegeta's first reactions to everything are always more fun.**

**Guys sign this petition to stop the destruction of Fanfiction! ****www. change**** petitions /fanfiction- net-stop-the- destruction-of- fanfiction-net#**

**BTW if my theories about energy signals and sensing them are a bit farfetched let me know.**

Chapter 10

Prince Vegeta looked up and froze, his angry thoughts trailing off. They had walked through a canopy of dark leaves, more like vines, and had emerged in a small paradise.

Exotic plants decorated every surface possibly. Their colours were bright and intoxicating in their beauty. Even as a warrior and a selfish one at that, he saw the beauty of this place. It was completely breath taking.

A waterfall rushed towards a lake, spraying water into the air, making a constant cloud of mist. It splashed onto the Prince's heated and sweaty flesh, making him want to sigh in relief.

The trees appeared to be heavily laden with fruit. They were large tender looking beauties. Even from where he stood Prince Vegeta swore he could smell the delicate sweetness. His mouth immediately began to salivate.

"The beings that live here call themselves the Minakah." Kakarot said softly, letting the Prince enjoy the peace and tranquillity that clung to the place like a second skin.

It was a sharp contrast to the dangers surrounding the heart of the forest, but Kakarot felt that if he had anything as beautiful as this, he's also work just as hard to protect it.

"There's another race here?" The Prince asked hoarsely.

"Yes, and despite their beauty, they are quite dangerous." Kakarot warned.

"Where are they?" Prince Vegeta asked, clearly not taking the warning seriously.

"Everywhere. I'm not going to show you, you must find them yourself." Kakarot replied walking over to the lake and starting to drink some water, "Oh and be nice. I can't stop them from killing you even if I wanted to."

"What, are they stronger than you?" Prince Vegeta scoffed still looking around.

"No. They're just extremely vicious and poisonous. They put the poison on darts and you'll be dead before you even know that you're shot." Kakarot replied indifferently.

Kakarot then sighed in dreamy content before sitting down on a grassy patch. He then glanced at Vegeta, seeming to be considering something. His eyes narrowed as he thought and his little tongue poked out the corner of his mouth.

"What?" Prince Vegeta finally snapped.

"I was just thinking if perhaps I shouldn't teach you the art of calming your mind. It might help with your temper. Having a temper isn't good for battle you know." Kakarot mused.

Prince Vegeta couldn't decide whether he felt insulted or intrigued. So instead he chose sarcasm.

"Oh and you know soooooooo much about being in battle. Tell me, how many successful off world missions have you been on? Oh wait, that's right . . . YOU HAVEN'T!"

"That's low, even for you. I don't have to have been off world to have been in battles. I'm just a low class pathetic piece of Sayian trash, remember." Kakarot said with a scowl of his own, "Now sit down and listen to me."

"I find it hard to listen to anyone, much less a brat who has no experience what so ever." The Prince snapped but he sat down nonetheless.

"Clear your mind. Perhaps you will be able to see the Minakah if you learn to see with more than just your eyes and that stupid lying scouter." Kakarot said shifting positions so that he was sitting cross legged and ram rod straight.

"Now what?" Prince Vegeta sneered not closing his eyes.

"Close your eyes!" Kakarot demanded like a small child not getting his way.

Prince Vegeta growled in reply but closed his eyes. Kakarot peeked at the Prince to check if he wasn't lying.

"This place is perfect for quiet. There's also not that many Ki signals around to confuse you, so it's better for you and not as taxing. It also doesn't hurt that this place is so beautiful." Kakarot chatted.

"RUNT! I'm losing my patience here. Who cares if it's beautiful? I can't see it with my eyes closed!" Prince Vegeta snapped.

Kakarot hastily closed his eyes once more and quickly tried to organise his thoughts.

"Now do you remember when you were stuck in bed and I tried to show you how Ki levels can be manipulated?" Kakarot asked.

"Yes." The Prince replied curtly, not appreciating the reminder.

"Try doing it out here. Clear your mind. Everything has energy so you should be able to sense everything around you. It's easier to start with your own energy. You can always tell just how much more you can still fight. That's the amount of energy you have left. Try to mimic what your Ki was doing when Kree bit you. I know it sounds hard and little stupid but it is possible, after all controlling Ki blasts is part of it." Kakarot explained thoughtfully, adding things on the spur of the moment and confusing the hell out of the Prince.

Nonetheless, Prince Vegeta closed his eyes and tried to look within himself. He remembered all too well the sensations that the fuzz ball's poison had caused. He shuddered slightly as he recalled the plummeting weakness, the cold. When he shivered next it was due to the pleasure of having his Ki so high but the heat that had accompanied it was slightly uncomfortable, even for a Sayian. He then decided to reflect upon the way his body had felt while training, his energy. He was starting to see a pattern he hadn't noticed before. The more he delved into his memories, the quieter he became, the more his mind relaxed.

Kakarot opened one eye and say the blank yet relaxed look on Prince Vegeta's face. He smiled and decided that he liked the Prince this way. Kakarot could sense the Prince's Ki pulsating to the beat of his memories. He was close. He watched the Prince, noticing for the first time, the difference in their skin tones. It was fascinating. Prince Vegeta spent far too much time scowling. Without the permanent expression of displeasure on his face, Kakarot decided that he actually looked quite handsome.

Prince Vegeta, completely oblivious to the staring younger Sayian started to feel a thrumming within himself. It was like he feel the very beating of his heart. Life and energy, his energy, coursed through every fibre of his being. His breath quickened in wonder at this new sensation. It was exhilarating. Just like that other pulses started to intrude upon his mind.

Each one was different, had different intensities but certain things remained the same. It was little things but Prince Vegeta could tell that it mean they were of the same origin. Plants, water, earth, air. Everything had energy and each element had the same energy. Some were barely there, just flickers tickling his awareness. Others assaulted his mind with numbing concentration.

The one that stood out the most was the signal right in front of him, Kakarot. An energy so pure it was a light in his mind. His own seemed blackened in comparison. He swallowed as he took in the purity of the younger Sayian basking in the strange warmth it radiated. In irrational anger he snapped his eyes open only to come face to face with Kakarot.

Startled, Prince Vegeta fell backwards, knocking Kakarot and in doing so bringing the younger Sayian down with him. Kakarot landed with an oaf on the Prince's chest. Both lay extremely still, Kakarot not even daring to breath.

"So, uhm, do you feel anything yet?" Kakarot squeaked trying to get up.

Prince Vegeta blinked at the sudden thoughts that brought to mind. He viciously trampled them till they were gone, pushed so far back that they'd have trouble finding their way back. Why oh why did he have to have an adequate training partner that was hitting puberty and was an innocent. It just wasn't fair.

"Yes." Prince Vegeta answered gruffly.

His patience wore thin and he gripped the back of Kakarot's armour to pull him up so that he himself could sit up.

"Have you found the Minakah yet?"

"I didn't get that far." Prince Vegeta muttered.

"Try again."

Prince Vegeta sighed but closed his eyes once more and tried to seek out the thrumming energy signals once more. This time he looked for what was different, hidden amongst the other energy signals.

He gasped when he found it. They were everywhere, their energies having a sharp jagged feel to it. Yet, they didn't feel as though they posed a threat. It was more like the ability to be dangerous.

"You ready to start learning how to control your Ki, suppress it so that it lies?" Kakarot asked cheerfully.

Prince Vegeta opened his eyes, looking more than a little stunned. He nodded almost, almost weakly and Kakarot's grin widened before he sprang to his feet.

"Try to think of your body as a container. Your energy is like water in that container. Your energy will follow you, surround you, no matter where you put it but it's in the container because that is what is easier." Kakarot started amazing the Prince with his understanding, his grasp of a science only the Tuffles had truly understood and maybe not even to this extent.

"Now think of your energy flowing down, towards the ground, mixing in and flowing with the natural energy around you." Kakarot continued.

Prince Vegeta immediately directed his Ki downwards and Kakarot yelped, "No no no! You're concentrating it! Direct it not exude it." Kakarot re-explained.

"Make up your mind." Prince Vegeta snapped.

This time when he tried, he felt as though his body was getting slightly weaker, his temperature dropping. He immediately stopped and his power snapped back to where it had been.

"It's a bit uncomfortable at first but the knowledge that it's right there, within easy reach does help." Kakarot added quietly.

Prince Vegeta was making amazing progress all things considering. He had been extremely open to new ways of training. Perhaps it was a Sayian thing. Kakarot was just glad that he was willing to listen, but then again if he hadn't been then he would have killed Kakarot the minute Frieza had left the planet.

When the Prince had managed to lower his power level to almost half Kakarot decided that maybe it was time to head back.

"It takes practice, training, just like every other muscle in the body. Eventually it becomes as natural as breathing." Kakarot said quietly as he hovered in the air.

Prince Vegeta sprang up and hovered next to him. He seemed thoughtful for a moment saying very quietly, "Perhaps next time we will see the Minakah instead of just sense them."

Prince Vegeta allowed Kakarot to lead the way out the forest and back to the palace. Instead of going back the way they had come Kakarot just went up. He heard Prince Vegeta's scoff and smiled.

Flying back to the palace and incidentally civilisation was more of a hardship than the Prince realised. He was exhausted and they hadn't even done any training, well not what he was used to anyways. He now realised that training as he had been was useless. His body was far too used to the strenuous routine he put it through. Now though, everything was completely unexpected. Everything was also entirely left to chance. Both of them could die doing this stuff.

When they landed at the palace pod landing bay the Prince stumbled a bit. Kakarot frowned knowing that trying to help him would be futile. Already he could see the relaxed, almost complacent Prince being replaced by the arrogant paranoid jerk. Still, he understood exactly why he was like that but understanding only went so far.

"Welcome back Prince, did you have a good day?" Nappa asked, pretending to be his old self when all three present knew the truth.

"I've told you once and I've told you a hundred times, stop kissing up Nappa." Prince Vegeta snapped, shoving past him to walk into the palace.

Kakarot saw the glare that crossed the larger Sayian's features and glanced worriedly after the Prince. He skirted past Nappa who openly showed his distaste towards the low class Sayian as he passed. Kakarot caught up to the Prince figuring his bad mood was the safer than staying back there.

"So DID you have a good day?" Kakarot asked carefully.

Prince Vegeta spun on him without warning. He pinned Kakarot to the wall, hand curled around his throat painfully.

"Don't think we're buddies now just because I am forced to listen to you when we are no longer at this palace. I am your Prince and you will do well to remember that." Prince Vegeta growled before letting go and walking away.

Kakarot didn't follow this time. Understanding only went so far.

Instead he went to the balcony where he had met Prince Tarble. It was nearing sunset so the city below the palace should be starting to look like a whole new world. If he hurried he could catch it.

He saw that the door was already open and assumed that Prince Tarble was there already. That would be awesome. He walked a little faster and quietly pushed the door open a little more.

Prince Tarble was sitting in the same spot as before only now the plant that Kakarot had bought was placed next to him. He glanced up at Kakarot and smiled nervously.

"I see you found the plant. You should see it when it blooms, but you have to take care of it first." Kakarot said with a bow to the younger Prince.

"You don't have to do that." Prince Tarble whispered hoarsely.

"You are a Prince of Planet Vegeta, your power level does not matter to me." Kakarot said sternly.

Prince Tarble's eyes shone for only a moment before he blinked rapidly and it was gone. Kakarot sat down next the Prince and started to talk to him once more. The sun was starting to sink low into the red horizon and Kakarot thought it fitting for an awesome day. He wondered if Prince Vegeta had actually enjoyed himself or if he saw it as a duty to be fulfilled.

Eventually the two stood and Kakarot still chatting away started to lead them to the dining hall. He was hungry but he didn't want to leave the younger Prince behind so he kept his pace even. Tarble commented every now and then but for the most part he just listened, even smiling sometimes. Kakarot was still talking loudly when they entered the dining hall, brining attention to the two late arrivals.

"You should have seen the size of its teeth. They were huge! It didn't even have to chew. It just scooped up that other creature and I swear it swallowed it whole. I sure am glad that I'm at the top of the food chain when I see things like that. I do feel sorry for all the little animals. It just doesn't seem very fair . . . . ."

Tarble was amazed at how much that kid could talk. He just nodded and hmmmed. He was actually enjoying it. Tarble swore that Kakarot could talk and eat at the same time with the way he carried on.

Kakarot pause suddenly and looked over at Prince Vegeta who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Kakarot narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before they suddenly widened in fear. He sprang from their table in the corner and ran over to Prince Vegeta yelling as he went, "Wait, Prince Vegeta don't do it in here!"

Too late it appeared as Prince Vegeta opened his mind to the Ki signals in the room. His senses were assaulted with intensities like he'd never known before. Each power was dark and made his stomach roll. Every single one was like knifes. One more intense, darker, sharper than the others screamed at him that he was in danger. This signal was a threat to him and his Sayian instinct demanded blood. It was too much, too soon and his mind snapped like a rubber band stretched too far.

With an enraged yell hinting insanity Prince Vegeta's power exploded around him, uncontrolled, undirected, a wave of destruction. Kakarot was the one in the most danger had he had been running toward the Prince while everyone else had been seated. The small Sayian flew backwards, slamming into a wall with a loud crack.

He struggled to his feet, eyes glued to the rampant Prince. He hadn't known. Kakarot felt his heart tear. Guilt consumed him and he forced himself to his feet, forced himself to go to Prince Vegeta.

When he was close enough he sprang and clasped his arms and legs together around the older Sayian. Prince Vegeta's Ki was rocketing upwards, trying to kill all the threats his instincts picked up on but having no direction. There was no though to the attack.

"Please, Prince, you have to stop! You'll burn yourself out if you continue." Kakarot said frantically, Prince Vegeta's rising Ki starting to burn through Kakarot's armour.

"Focus on me, you have to focus on my Ki . . ." Kakarot whispered over and over, the tears falling down his face disintegrating in the heat of Prince Vegeta's very life force.

All at once Prince Vegeta fell to his knees, too exhausted to stand. His eyes were fluttering, fighting to remain open.

"Too many." He gasped before falling forward.

Kakarot was starting to feel the effects of Prince Vegeta's Ki. He was just too tired to move either. Everything hurt but he knew that he was going to be fine. He just hoped the same could be said for his Prince.

* * *

><p>Kakarot woke up halfway through the next day. He had been dumped with little care onto his bed. At least they had been considerate enough to put him on the bed.<p>

He got up cautiously, testing his body as he did so. He hurt  
>but he was fine. He'd been worse. Prince Vegeta was the real problem. Was he even ohkay? Again Kakarot's heart squeezed painfully. He could feel it now, thumping painfully in his chest as his mind sought the Prince's Ki out.<p>

Kakarot bolted out the door and followed the Ki signal. How could he have been so stupid? Why didn't he think to warn the Prince? He deserved to be beaten right into a rejuvenation tank and then furthermore denied one.

Kakarot skidded to a stop outside the medical bay and hat only made him feel worse. He'd gone and put the Prince of Sayians in the medical bay?

"I'm fine. Now for the last time let me go!" Prince Vegeta's voice could be heard coming from inside.

"Not until we know what happened. It might help us if you told us what you and that boy were doing." The King replied sternly.

"**NO!**" Prince Vegeta snapped angrily, his power flaring.

Why wasn't he saying anything? Well that didn't matter for now. Kakarot hurried into the room, his eyes immediately meeting Prince Vegeta's. Kakarot knew that his own looked guilty. However Prince Vegeta didn't look mad, just irritated with those around him.

"I'm sorry, so so very sorry. You have no idea how much I really wish you'd punish me. Please, be mad, start yelling, anything, don't just sit there and look at me like that." Kakarot said meekly.

"Why, it was my own doings. While I don't understand exactly what happened I do understand that it was of my own actions." Prince Vegeta scoffed.

Kakarot was surprised and confused. Had he not killed Kree for basically the same reason? Kree had made him look weak and his loss of control would also constitute to a lack thereof, meaning he was weak? Kakarot didn't know what to think.

"Well, you pushed yourself too far in the wrong place. Being in a room surrounded by elites and doing what you did, well you forced your mind to fall back on the baser Sayian instincts. You saw threats that weren't really a problem for you. They were a threat because each one is damaged." Kakarot explained.

"Damaged?" Prince Vegeta repeated with a frown.

"Killing leaves marks on one's essence. It blackens you, sharpens the edges. When you felt them, they were sharp, jagged, rough. Damaged. Your mind was reacting to what it all meant. Everyone in that room apart from two Sayians had the ability and have used this ability to kill. Sayians survive above all else, right? It was too much too soon." Kakarot replied looking down, knowing that Prince Vegeta knew his Ki signal was darker than Kakarot's.

"I see." Prince Vegeta replied quietly.

"I demand to know what is going on." King Vegeta snapped.

"Oh shut it father. What do you care so long as you get what you want." Prince Vegeta snapped irritable, "And you! Get lost, it's too late now to train. Find that mutt brother of mine and keep yourself occupied."

Kakarot nodded before bowing low to the floor and walking out the room. The argument between the King and the Prince followed him a long way down the hallway.

* * *

><p>The night was warm, a slight breeze swirling around in Kakarot's room from the open window as he slept. His afternoon with Tarble had been different, fun even. There was no fighting what so ever and it was a welcomed change. Tarble had even told him about what had happened after he had passed out. Everyone had started to freak out. Tarble had thought it funny.<p>

The young Sayian rolled over and mumbled in his sleep, a happy oblivious smile of his features. He wasn't aware of the shadow swooping across the wall, a shadow that didn't belong. He wasn't aware of the tiny squeak as the window was pushed open further. He didn't hear the soft thud as Sayian boots landed on the bedroom floor. There was a loud sigh as the Sayian watched the boy sleep. Footsteps that made no nose were made towards the boy, the only proof that he was even there at all was his shadow ghosting across the wall cast by the pale moon light.

"So strong, yet so out of place."

Kakarot's eyes sprang open in confused shock when a hand clamped around his mouth and he was lifted from the bed. He struggled but he was still half asleep. His back was pressed to an armoured chest and a head was lowered to his ear.

"Happy day of birth . . . my son."

The hand was removed and Kakarot squirmed around to see for himself what his brain was scrambling to believe.

"Daddy?" Kakarot asked unnecessarily.

"Who else?" Bardock smirked.

Kakarot smiled as his heart burst with the warmth of his happiness. He flung his arms around his father's neck and clung to him as tightly as he could.

"I missed you." Kakarot sniffed.

"Hn. Good." Bardock replied and Kakarot knew that it was his way of saying I missed you to.

"You remembered it was the day of my birth today. I didn't think you'd be back in time." Kakarot said with a smile.

"I took a shortcut. My team is not yet back so technically neither am I. I bought you something." Bardock replied putting Kakarot back down on the bed.

Kakarot gave him a quizzical look so Bardock explained that the planet he had just been on celebrated their days of birth by giving 'gifts'. Gifts was a word unknown to the Sayian race and Kakarot tried it out, liking the way it fit together.

"Gifts are also gestures of well meaning, apparently." Bardock continued knowing that the word kindness would mean nothing to Kakarot.

Bardock pulled out a cloth and started to unwrap it. Once done, the pale moon light reflected off and revealed a metallic and crystal band. Bardock picked it up and unclipped it so that he could place it around Kakarot's wrist.

"What does it do?" Kakarot asked.

"Nothing that I know of, I just thought it would look nice." Bardock replied going red and coughing a little.

"Radditz went off world. I miss him too but I'm glad you're back." Kakarot said tactfully changing the subject.

"I heard about his temper tantrum. Can't say I blame him though. He's worked hard to get where he is and I think after that tournament he lost a lot of whatever it is he deluded himself into thinking he had." Bardock replied with a weary sigh, "I am fond of that boy but he insists on pushing me away. As is the Sayian way."

Kakarot threw his arms around his father's neck once more. Bardock wrapped his own arms around his son's little body and pulled him close. He breathed in the familiar scent. He was home.

**Bardock fluffiness was special for all my awesome readers. LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	11. Chapter 11 Still have a lot to learn

**This was sort of a random unplanned chapter and I think it shows. I hope it's not too out of place. Although there are aspects in here that do contribute to the story. It's also shorter than other recent chapters. Next time I'll stick to the plan. Promise, from now on no more unplanned chapters.  
><strong>

Chapter 11.

Bardock had tried to keep up with Kakarot as the young boy had told him of his days with the Prince so far but his exhaustion was taking its toll.

"Why don't you sleep here dad?" Kakarot asked suddenly.

"Here? At the palace?" Bardock asked in surprise.

"Why not? You can sleep right here in my bed. I don't use that side so it's like it's brand new." Kakarot said shifting over so that Bardock could see his point.

Bardock sighed wearily and decided that the boy was right, either that or he was just too tired to argue. He managed to shift off his armour and get in a quick shower before stumbling over to the bed and falling onto it. Kakarot smiled before snuggling into his father's chest and pulling the blankets over them.

"Good night dad." He whispered before closing his eyes.

Bardock grunted once before his breaths became even and deeper.

Bardock woke up much later the next day. Kakarot was no longer next to him. The kid had probably left him to sleep. Bardock stretched and yawned before getting up and starting to pull on his armour once more.

"Morning Dad!" Kakarot announced loudly just as Bardock was finished adjusting his breastplate.

"Does your happy really have to be so loud?" Bardock asked with a wince.

"Are you hungry?" Kakarot barrelled on without much thought to the muttered question.

"Can you breathe?" Bardock replied.

"Great! Come on, let's go before everything's gone." Kakarot yelled tugging on Bardock's arm.

"I'm not even allowed in the palace and now you want me to go with breakfast with the royals." Bardock asked starting to sweat.

"Nah it's ohkay. I asked Prince Vegeta while he was still really sleepy so he said yes. It's amazing really, his thought process in the morning is very slow but he remembers every decision he makes while in that state. Me, I hardly know which way is up. I wonder if I could get him to agree to anything while he's sleepy. What do you think? What should I ask him for? . . ." Kakarot rambled.

Bardock looked at his son as he followed him to where the food was. Jip, he was home alright. He couldn't help the smirk on his face when the elite palace guards scowled at him. Silently he just begged, yes begged, them to make a move. His mouth was practically salivating at the thought of showing them a thing or two. All of these cowards had grown soft in their arrogance. He on the other hand was a warrior accustomed to battle, brutal battle if necessary. He didn't have the upper hand when it came to power, he wasn't an elite but experience. Yes he had plenty of that.

"We're here." Kakarot announced and breaking Bardock's train of bloodlust filled thoughts.

Bardock turned his attention to the now silent room they had just entered. Kakarot ignored them all heading straight for a table in the far corner of the room. It was a small table that held three chairs. One of those chairs was already occupied.

Kakarot smiled at this and rushed over to the other Sayian. Bardock kept at his measured pace. He didn't miss the glaring challenges in the elites' eyes but he blatantly and painfully ignored them.

"Dad this is Prince Tarble. He's really cool." Kakarot introduced as soon as Bardock sat down.

Bardock looked at the small Sayian boy who ducked his head and blushed. He looked like he was perpetually in fear. Bardock narrowed his eyes slightly at the Prince part. So this was the hushed up third class brat everyone whispered about. Bardock would've pressed the side of his scouter just for curiosity's sake but decided that the little guy had pride and reading his power level would probably damage the little he had left. So instead he inclined his head in acknowledgement before starting on the food that Kakarot had already dug into.

"RUNT!" Prince Vegeta screeched upon slamming the doors open.

Kakarot didn't even flinch so this had to be normal.

"Wake me up one more time and I will send you to the afterlife in pieces!" Prince Vegeta hollered further before sitting down.

"Hay I wasn't the one that went out to the places I'm not supposed to tell anyone about late last night when I should have been getting some sleep for my training." Kakarot replied through a mouth full of food and because of that only two people in the room really understood him, Bardock and the Prince.

"Do you even have a brain?" Prince Vegeta asked rhetorically.

Kakarot retaliated by sticking out his tongue. Oh how mature Bardock thought dryly. Breakfast was eaten with little to no incidents unless a servant being chased around by some carefully controlled Ki counted. Apparently Elites were not immune to the pain of hot drinks being spilt on their crotches. Bardock had had to thump his own chest as he choked of the food in his mouth and laughed silently at the same time.

"So you're the pathetic low class runt's father." Prince Vegeta mused coming over to the little table.

Bardock looked him over and grunted. He stood and bowed respectfully but respect only went so far on Planet Vegeta.

"And you're the brat Prince that is to rule over us all one day." Bardock replied.

"A brat Prince that will gladly kill you. I see you've met my pathetic sibling." Prince Vegeta replied looking at Prince Tarble with scorn.

Bardock noticed Kakarot's frown at the words.

"My son disagrees with you, about which part I'm so sure though." Bardock said quietly.

"I don't care what he thinks." Prince Vegeta snapped almost like it was a habit and not something he truly believed.

"Oh so that means I can take him home, since he's useless all the same." Bardock smirked.

"No. I'm having far too much fun with him." Prince Vegeta said with his own smirk and up close Bardock knew why it caused so many to wake from their slumber in imagined terror, perhaps not so imagined.

"Maturity has done you good Prince but you're still a brat." Bardock replied shrugging a shoulder.

"Spar with me." Prince Vegeta suddenly asked, his eyes lighting up with pure enjoyment.

Kakarot was surprised to realise that the Prince was enjoying Bardock's crude suicidal behaviour. He was absolutely thriving on it.

"You wouldn't even present a challenge to me." Bardock said with a scoff and look of aloofness.

It hit a nerve and Prince Vegeta got angry. More openly angry than what Kakarot had ever actually seen him as before.

"I'm stronger than you. I am the strongest Sayian there ever was. I will defeat you." Prince Vegeta declared and Bardock sensed the desperation that peppered those words ever so slightly. He needed to believe those words. It was all he had.

"Strength isn't everything, Prince." Bardock said quietly but falling into a fighting stance nonetheless.

Prince Vegeta sprang at Bardock, taking the offensive immediately. His style was flawless and in that, did it have its weakness. Prince Vegeta fought with textbook execution. He'd never been in a battle for his life. He'd never had to kill to survive. Well maybe not anything that wasn't Sayian and certainly nothing that was stronger than him. His fighting while perfect was predictable. He hadn't learnt to properly strategize. Bardock taught him the hard way, blocking all his moves and delivering powerful ones of his own.

"Change your style to suit your situation Prince." Bardock coached as they fought.

"Faster, harder and unpredictable. That is the code you must live by. Just remember to keep it smart. Rage filled attacks get you nowhere as you can plainly see." Bardock continued.

Their fight had been taken to the air, a clear disadvantage for Prince Vegeta. He'd never trained for much more than power so he lacked a few essential skills. Bardock exploited it all. The Prince needed to learn the hard way if he was ever to stand a chance in defeating Frieza. He was raised to believe that this was an inevitability but he'd never been told the reality of his situation. Bardock pinned him to the wall, high above the watching Sayians. Prince Vegeta struggled but Bardock had pinned him in such a way that his struggles only made it painful for him. After all Bardock had plenty of experience with opponents stronger than him. Prince Vegeta had none.

"Power means nothing without experience brat Prince. You've been far too pampered in your quest for power. You say you're destined to defeat Frieza but you know nothing of his power. There's a reason why Sayians are considered to the dirt under his foot. His weakest soldiers are stronger than we are and the only reason we were ever useful to him was our ability to transform into the Oozaru. Without that we are nothing and easily defeated. Your father figured that out very fast and that is why we bow to him. You expect to kill a being you don't even understand. When you learn that power isn't everything then you will realise just how big this task of yours is. I will take you seriously when you have learnt the real art of war. This pampered life of yours will be your undoing. I hope Kakarot can teach you what you will need to know." Bardock whispered so quietly that only the Prince could hear him, "Now save your pride and end this."

Prince Vegeta lashed out angrily slamming Bardock into the opposite wall and landing on the ground so intensely that it cracked and shattered. He glanced at Bardock, feeling more alive than he had ever felt but more humiliated as well. He was also grateful. He bowed ever so slightly to Bardock in a sign of respect vowing to become a Sayian warrior worthy in his eyes. His own father's wishes meant nothing. Bardock had more right to the Sayian throne than that pathetic old fool but that throne turned warriors into nothing more than weak insignificant has been warriors. If that was the case Tarble could have the throne.

Bardock stood and winced but bowed low to Prince Vegeta. Very few would have even seen the tiny bow the Prince had given him and out of those few even fewer would actually believe it for what it was. Bardock saw it though and he felt that his views on the Prince had to shift dramatically. Perhaps he should speak to Kakarot and see what he had to say on the matter.

"That was one of the best fights I've been in in a long long time, Prince. Your technique cannot be faulted when being compared to how it is supposed to be." Bardock said still bowing low to the floor.

"But you disagree with it." Prince Vegeta stated.

"My son has often stated that the Sayian fighting style has become obsolete by our own making." Bardock said inclining his head to the side.

"And let me guess, he's already come up with a new one." Prince Vegeta stated blandly his eyes travelling over to the said Sayian who grinned nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What do you think I was using to fight you with?" Bardock smirked.

While his son hadn't exactly all out taught him the newer more efficient way of fighting, he had explained a few things to Bardock and they had made sense to the older Sayian so he'd utilised those hints and adjusted his fighting technique to suit it.

"I see. Let's go again. The rest of you clear off." Prince Vegeta said crouching down once more.

Prince Tarble stood to leave with all the other Sayians but Kakarot pulled him back shaking his head when the other Sayian looked at him.

"Stay and watch." Kakarot said with a smile.

Bardock struck first but Prince Vegeta was ready for him. He'd adjusted quite fast to the new situation and was doing far better than before. Kakarot smiled when he saw that Prince Vegeta was getting more creative but making up things on the spur of the moment did have its disadvantages. The Prince was slammed backwards after a failed attempt and he crashed rather painfully to the ground.

"Kakarot I might have hit him harder than I thought. His guard wasn't even a fraction there." Bardock said lowering to the floor with a wince and clutching his ribs.

Kakarot nodded and went over to the Prince who was still lying on the floor, panting as though each breath as an elixir. Kakarot paled when he noticed the sudden drop in the Prince's power level. Bardock's scouter began to register the drop as well. Kakarot slid across the floor and placed his hand on the Prince's chest, trying to get a better sense of his Ki.

The damaged Ki areas were hotter than the undamaged ones and the warmest area was his chest . . . but it wasn't warm enough to cause that sort of drop . . . unless.

Kakarot yelped when the Prince's eyes sprang open and his glare of anger was directed at Bardock. He phased out of sight and reappeared behind Bardock delivering an elbow blow to his back. A ruse, it had all been a ruse. Kakarot began to laugh. Prince Vegeta sure did learn fast.

Kakarot turned his attention to Prince Tarble who was watching with wide eyes. How much of the fight could he actually see? Sometimes Prince Vegeta moved too fast for even Kakarot to see.

"Hay Prince Tarble, why don't you fight?" Kakarot asked walking back to the younger Sayian.

"No point." Prince Tarble muttered but Kakarot knew he didn't want to talk about it.

The door opened then and the King entered followed by the reluctant remnants of Bardock's crew. The King did not look pleased but when he saw the Prince his face went completely blank. Was it pride or anger that made him react that way? A third class warrior who was stronger than he, training his son and actually teaching him things. It wasn't Sayian like. Ever since Kakarot a lot of things had ceased to be very Sayian like.

The King looked at Kakarot then and saw that Prince Tarble was with him. Would he allow another of royal blood to be corrupted as such? There was nothing he could do about Prince Vegeta, he was too far gone to be controlled. At least Prince Vegeta still cared for the destiny that had been bestowed upon him at birth. Defeating Frieza and becoming the legendary Super Sayian.

Prince Tarble was weak, fragile but he had once help potential. That potential had been neglected. Perhaps if the King took an interest in his youngest son he could salvage the disgrace his oldest son had caused. Instinct told him that Prince Vegeta's disgraces would only increase so long as Kakarot remained but there was nothing he could do without angering Prince Vegeta to the point where he'd even kill his own father.

Watching him now, being challenged and pushed to his limits by a mere third class dog, it was not pride, no. Rage seething like a molten lava beneath his skin. Something had to be done and Prince Tarble was his last remaining hope.

"Are you sure about this?" Bardock asked for the third time.

"Yes. You and your brat son keep reminding me that I'm too used to fighting only Sayians. You and your team are known for your accomplishments off world. None of you fight like Sayians anymore. So for the last time YES." Prince Vegeta snapped.

Fasha sprang at him first followed closely by Tora. Prince Vegeta sprang up into the air only to be met with Shugesh. Tora and Fasha were both firing up beams of Ki. He ducked at the last minute, smirking when the blasts hit Shugesh instead. Prince Vegeta phased out of sight reappearing behind Borgos and delivering a powerful kick to the back of his head. That was two down and three to go.

Fasha and Tora tried to team up against him. He stood still long enough for them to hit each other. Tora blinked with shock as Prince Vegeta appeared right in front of him, delivering a hard punch to the gut. Fasha blocked the blow aimed for her ribs and ducked under the kick but missed the punch. She slumped forward only half conscious. Those four had almost been too easy, defeating themselves really.

The last one was Bardock. Where was he? Concentrate, use your Ki. He's here somewhere. Prince Vegeta fell to the ground to avoid the blow from behind. He rolled and jumped to his feet to avoid the next one. His arm pounded with the force of Bardock's kick that he had been forced to block. His sneer matched Bardock's snarl.

They sprang apart, each one taking not of the other's growing exhaustion. They'd been fighting the whole day. Bardock had just returned from a mission and Prince Vegeta was still trying to incorporate Kakarot's training. He knew that there would be more to come but for now he had to use what he had.

Prince Vegeta attacked first. Bardock and the Prince were now familiar with each other's technique but not quite friendly. They each knew enough to avoid most of the blows. The two Sayians were completely engrossed in their fight. They had not moved from the dining hall and soon it would be time for dinner. Would there be a victor by then? Kakarot presumed that this was going to be an on-going rivalry. Even though Prince Vegeta had greatly improved it was evident that he still had a long way to go.

"Hay Prince Tarble, why don't you fight with me?" Kakarot asked suddenly after mainly keeping silent.

"Our power levels are different." Prince Tarble muttered back.

"I can change it so that we'll be fighting at the same level." Kakarot replied.

"Really? You can do that?" Prince Tarble replied with the first real amount of enthusiasm that day.

"Jip. I'm trying to teach your brother to do the same thing." Kakarot grinned and noticed Prince Tarble's enthusiasm dim somewhat.

"I could teach you if you like?" Kakarot offered quickly.

"Nah that's ohkay. Besides it's getting too late for fighting." Prince Tarble replied looking away.

"What, too late for fighting? What kind of very non Sayian like thing is that?" Kakarot asked with mock horror, "Hahaha, yeah I don't really like fighting like they do either."

Prince Tarble did grin at that one and it made Kakarot happy that he had at least made the younger Prince happy, even if it was but for a moment.


	12. Chapter 12 Dreams of the denied

**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. You guys have got no idea how awesome they feel.**

**The chapter is a bit of Prince Vegeta ruffling Kakarot's feathers. Hahahaha. I'm so mean sometimes. But only in the beginning. This chapter takes on a completely new direction and sets the foundations for a few things. Well actually the previous chapter set a few foundations as well. Let's see where they go. Hopefully it's not too confusing. I get it but not everyone always gets where I'm going.  
><strong>

**Nana is a play on Banana. Before you all yell at me Bil is totally derived from food. It comes from Biltong, a South African food thing. It's delicious. **

**As for the swords I didn't explain them in great detail because I'm not sure how many people know sword terminology. So I left it to your imagination. **

Chapter 12.

Kakarot watched the pod blast away yet he remained where he was long after the trail of the pod's trajectory had disappeared.

"Miss you already dad." he sighed before walking back to the landing bay entrance where Prince Vegeta was watching him thoughtfully.

"You really are attached to your father aren't you?" Prince Vegeta asked attentively.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Kakarot replied somewhat morbidly.

"It's not Sayian like." Prince Vegeta replied as though it were obvious.

"And I suppose you and your brother are very Sayian like." Kakarot muttered under his breath, "Who are we to dictate what is and isn't Sayian like. Everyone breaks one or another or the rules."

"True, but only the imbeciles get caught." Prince Vegeta said with a shrug.

"We resume our training tomorrow." Kakarot said before taking off into the air, not really in the mood for company.

Bardock had stayed for two days at the palace. The second had been spent with his son. They had mainly spoken about the current situation that they now found themselves in. Bardock was mainly interested in the Prince's personality.

Kakarot had told him his theories, that the Prince was only like that for appearances. He believed that the Prince was really a nice guy but had been forced to suppress his true intentions due to the Sayian expectations. He told his father that everyone expecting Prince Vegeta to kill Frieza was ludicrous. No one knew how strong Frieza really was and there was no way to make them realise it so as a direct result Prince Vegeta didn't know exactly what he was up against. He concluded to his father that Prince Vegeta's only hope was the Super Sayian ascension of Legend but that was a stretch since no one actually knew how it was done. No one even knew what it looked like.

Bardock had been given a new assignment rather quickly after his training with the Prince. He told Kakarot before he left that he suspected that the King did not enjoy it. He had winked when he had said it, indicating that he was amused by the situation.

Kakarot was not.

* * *

><p>"Wake up Kakarot." The Prince grumbled while shaking the sleeping boy.<p>

When he got no response he scowled before promptly lifting Kakarot by the ankle and tossing him into the air.

"WHAAAAAA!"

"Good, you're up. Time to go." The Prince said simply.

"But the sun isn't even awake yet." Kakarot pouted.

"Pay back is a bitch now move it."

Kakarot yawned and reluctantly got off the bed he had landed back on. Prince Vegeta was standing in the shadows leaning against the wall, watching, Kakarot presumed to make sure he didn't go back to bed.

"So where are we training today?" Kakarot asked around a yawn as he hunted in the poor lighting for his armour.

"I thought that was your department." Prince Vegeta drawled amused by Kakarot's misfortunes.

Kakarot stubbed his toe and stumbled, his arms flailing about to try and keep his balance. He eeped just as he thought he was about to hit the floor. He was more than surprised though when he didn't. He felt pressure around his waist and looked down to see the Prince's tail wrapped securely around his waist. He looked in confusion behind him, only now registering the heat radiating off of the Prince's body.

"Wouldn't want you to hit your head and get a concussion. You wouldn't be able to train then now would you?" Prince Vegeta smirked.

Kakarot gulped and shook his head quickly. He regained his balance but the Prince's tail lingered, almost caressing him as it left its position from around his waist. Huh what was that all about? Kakarot shook his head. He must be imagining it.

"Hay Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta suddenly asked, his voice seeming to come from right next to Kakarot making the poor disoriented Sayian jump.

"Yeah–" Kakarot started but couldn't finish as the breath whooshed from his lungs as he was spun around and pinned to the wall.

Prince Vegeta's predatory grin gleamed in the darkness and Kakarot's confusion grew. What was the Prince up to? He was in a weird mood today. Perhaps this was some weird training.

"What do you know of female Sayians?" The Prince asked leaning in closer to Kakarot.

"Not much really, why?" Kakarot replied with even more confusion.

"So you don't know about the mating rituals and the courtship expectations?" Prince Vegeta continued, his voice low.

"Not really. Dad's off world too much to teach me and Radditz doesn't bother." Kakarot replied.

"Hn. That idiot probably doesn't even know himself." Prince Vegeta muttered, "Anyways, so this," The Prince continued using his tail to gesture at the space, well lack thereof, between them, "Doesn't affect you?"

"I don't know, should it?" Kakarot squeaked.

"And what about this?" Prince Vegeta asked in a low purr, his tail moving around them both to caress Kakarot's tail.

Kakarot began to whimper despite his best efforts to hide it. His spine was tingling in a way it had never before and he was only growing more confused. In response Prince Vegeta chuckled, his voice far deeper than usual.

"W-what's h-_hitch_-appening?" Kakarot gasped out.

"What do you think is happening?" Prince Vegeta all but purred.

"I don't know." Kakarot said on an almost wail.

Prince Vegeta regarded him carefully for a moment before pulling back, without his support Kakarot falling to the floor. Before Kakarot had figured out quite which way was up Prince Vegeta started to roar with cruel cold laughter.

"You should see yourself. It's pathetic." Prince Vegeta gasped out, "Just so you know, your Ki was doing all sorts of interesting things."

"I'll bet." Kakarot muttered getting to his feet, his face flaming.

He might not understand the situation but he did understand that Prince Vegeta had been mocking him. He glanced down in horror when he realised that he now had a painfully throbbing erection. He gulped as his heart began to race faster than what it had been doing and glanced over his shoulder at a still chortling Prince. There was no way he could train like this. Even if he did manage to change and start training, he had nothing but Sayian armour to wear. That didn't exactly hide his dilemma. The Prince had caused this, but how would he react to it?

"What's the matter now?" Prince Vegeta huffed, noticing that Kakarot was standing too still.

"Uh, uhm n-nothing." Kakarot stammered out quickly.

"Yeah right." Prince Vegeta growled walking around to face Kakarot who promptly turned around to face the other way.

"Oh come on, you can't be mad at me for THAT." Prince Vegeta snorted.

"I-I'm not mad." Kakarot tried to sound earnest about it while adding under his breath, "but you just might be."

Prince Vegeta knew exactly what was wrong. He'd gone through puberty himself so he wasn't a stranger to the Sayian body. He smirked wondering just how this situation was going to end. He certainly hadn't planned this when he'd entered the room but the opportunity had been too sweet to miss. Having had fun earlier, Prince Vegeta decided to have some more.

"Kakarot." He purred leaning towards the smaller Sayian who froze immediately.

Prince Vegeta stepped closer to the younger Sayian, his arm snaking around his waist and pulling him closer. Kakarot was trembling but that might have been from any number of things. He hadn't reacted violently thus far so perhaps he wouldn't just yet.

"Seems you have a problem, several actually. Perhaps I should help you out there." Prince Vegeta continued.

"What do you mean?" Kakarot managed to say, and without stuttering.

"Well if one did this," Vegeta whispered, his hand gently gripping the base of Kakarot's tail and sliding slowly up to the tip, "The results are almost always this."

Kakarot moaned deeply and fell to his knees before he could stop any of it. Prince Vegeta sat down behind him and pulled the practically boneless and panting boy into his lap. The room was starting to get the greyish hue of early morning. He'd have to hurry if he didn't want to attract the attention of the unwanted kind.

"And if you do this," Prince Vegeta stroked the skin just under Kakarot's tail causing the young helpless Sayian to cry out and arch his back, his eyes squeezing shut tightly.

"Lastly, if you want to end things rather quickly, you do this." Prince Vegeta murmured taking the tip of Kakarot's tail into his mouth and sucking. Kakarot's eyes flew open and the Prince saw the pupils dilate to tiny barely there black dots nanoseconds before Kakarot yelled incoherent words and he ejaculated. Prince Vegeta knew that for just a moment Kakarot's heart and ceased to beat before suddenly racing at incredible speeds. He also knew something that Kakarot did not. The sucking of a Sayian tail was seen as the ultimate intimate act. He, as the Prince had never done it to a female Sayian lover. Hopefully Kakarot would never come to see it as more than the game it had been.

"Hn, so weak." Prince Vegeta murmured as he stroked the hair away from Kakarot closed eyes.

He stood and put Kakarot back on the bed, noting that he wouldn't be moving around anytime soon.

"See you at breakfast runt. Don't be late." Prince Vegeta said with a smirk before leaving the room.

Prince Vegeta jerked awake with a gasp. His heart was pounding in his chest and his breathing was so harsh his throat was parched. What the hell had just happened? He couldn't be having those kinds of dreams. It just wasn't right.

Why had he done that? His intentions had been to go and train early, but when Kakarot had started to fall he'd acted almost on instinct. What the hell was happening? If he started to avoid the brat Kakarot would get confused and start to ask question, maybe to the wrong people. So he couldn't avoid him. If he asked questions and any normal Sayian would, then Prince Vegeta decided that he'd pretend it was all a test of self-control which Kakarot had failed miserably. In reality any Sayian, even the strongest would've failed that test. Himself included.

He jerked his thoughts to a halt. He was obsessing over a dream? Come on. He didn't need to analyse a situation that had never happened. What was wrong with him?

Prince Vegeta stayed in his room, sitting unnaturally still against the door as his mind automatically followed Kakarot's Ki. It was erratic and not at all stable. What was he dreaming about? Or was his perception being warped due to his own racing thoughts? Kakarot's Ki was starting to steady though, he'd be waking up soon. He'd be getting up and he'd be ready to get moving, go train. That much was certain. What was unknown was if he'd notice the sudden difference in his behaviour. Would he see the calculating and speculative stares the Prince gave him, as he was sure he no doubted would?

Prince Vegeta got to his feet when he felt Kakarot's Ki start to move away from his room. His room was far closer to the dining hall than Kakarot's so even if he dawdled he'd still get there before the runt. His thoughts stuttered at the insult. Could he really think of Kakarot that way anymore? And why the hell was it that he could sense Kakarot's Ki without any trouble? It was as natural to him as breathing.

Prince Vegeta shook his head once, violently, as though it could dislodge the swirling thoughts from his mind. He decided that he'd only ever refer to the earlier dream should it happen to fall into his favour to do so. Which would be never.

Kakarot sensed that the Prince was already in the dining hall. They would be getting back to their training today. That would make the Prince happy. Kakarot would be glad to get out of the palace. The place was just so stuffy and cold. There was nothing in there that spoke of a pleasent place to live.

He would wait, wait and see what the Prince did before he decided on what to do next. For now he was hungry and food was waiting for him. It'd be very un-Sayian like, not to mention rude, to ignore it.

"Oi, Kakarot! Hurry up. I still want to get some training done today." Prince Vegeta yelled from the door.

"Prince Vegeta, your father has requested that you do a progress evaluation today. You know how those go." Nappa said with a barely discernible sneer, his tone disrespectful to all those who knew to look for it.

Progress evaluation. Great. Prince Vegeta snarled at Nappa who visibly quailed. Yes, he did know how those went. They took the whole day. There went another day of training. Great, great, great, just gloriously fantastic. Prince Vegeta's silent fuming was cut short by the sudden realisation that Kakarot was standing in front of him. He looked at the Sayian and saw the hesitantance in his eyes.

"Hn. Looks like you have the day to yourself brat. Do what the hell you want. Unfortunately I still answer to that fool." Prince Vegeta stated so that only Kakarot really heard him.

He spun on his heel, his cape flicking out dramatically and exited the room without another word.

Kakarot stood still for a moment as he decided just what exactly he was going to do now. Well there was one thing he'd always wanted to do but was previously unable to do so due to his low class rank. He looked down at the unmarked, almost royal looking armour he wore and smiled. With a mischievous chuckle he made up his mind.

He walked out the dining hall and went to the nearest window before blasting out of it. A Sayian did not have any understanding of currency. Their life style was determined by their rank. As a low class he'd never been allowed much. Now though they really couldn't tell the difference. It was just another reminder of their flaw as a race.

Kakarot was going to enjoy today. He flew right into the heart of the city, landing on the ground carefully so as not to disturb the ground. Although many of the Sayians were off world, it was still busy in the major cities of the planet.

Kakarot grinned in glee. What to do first? He ran over to a store and looked in at the window. A food store! He looked at the menu on the wall and saw that it was pretty standard stuff. Nothing exciting in there. He hurried to the next store and looked in. This was an accessory store!

He decided to go in and look around. He opened the door and was about to step in when he was suddenly whipped off his feet. He wiggled in the grasp of the Sayian that had grabbed him by the back of the armour.

"What you doing outta training whelp?"

"I got the day off." Kakarot replied.

"Ohkay, I'll pretend to believe that. What you doing wearing armour. Trainees don't get armour."

"Fair enough. But I don't train with the other Sayians. The armour is so that I can take the beating for longer." Kakarot lied, sort of.

"Hahaha, yeah sure kid, but you know what you don't look like no elite I ever saw. . ." The Sayian said thoughtfully, "Oi Nana, come check this kid out. He looks familiar but I aien't so good with faces. You come tell me."

A female Sayian standing across the street looked up at the name and scowled at the Sayian holding onto Kakarot.

"What do you want Bil? Leave the kid alone. If he says it's his off day, then it's his off day. Maybe he's playing dress up. Who cares?" Nana replied walking over to them.

"I got it!" Bil said happily snapping his fingers and totally ignoring what Nana had said.

"Doesn't he look like that Bardock guy?" Bil asked offering Kakarot up to Nana who was glaring at Bil.

Kakarot noted that both of them were elite soldiers. His father's fame wasn't lost on him. He'd have to think fast.

"Oh please, that third class weakling. I don't fight like no third class scum." Kakarot growled doing his best to impersonate the elite children he had briefly trained with.

"Yeah kid, you should show some respect. That Bardock guy is legend. His name blazes in glory in all the minds of every low class and third class Sayian. Too bad I hear his son is such a disappointment, both of them." Bil said sarcastically with a cruel laugh.

Kakarot tried his best not to show the anger he was feeling.

"Put me down you idiot." Kakarot said instead, putting as much venom into that statement as possible.

The elite was so surprised that he did.

"You know what Bil, the kid is right. You are an idiot. Look at his armour. That kind of stuff isn't exactly lying around you know. How the hell did you think he was lying? You'll be lucky if you aren't killed for your insolence." Nana scolded starting to look fearful.

Getting confused now, Kakarot looked down at the armour. He knew it meant high ranking but why did she look so scared. She was an elite, raised to feel superior, even to the Sayians around her.

"Prince's property are you." Bil said slowly with a careful nod that could've been a once over.

"Oh! So that's what this thing means. Huh. What do you know. He never told me that." Kakarot said with a happy grin.

"So what's your power level kid?" Nana asked.

Sayians always gave their power level when asked because if they didn't it just became a simple matter of pressing the button on the scouter and it was displayed anyways. For Kakarot though, it was another matter entirely. Should he lie? Possibly best.

"Uhm, last reading was at about 10 000 or so." Kakarot replied looking thoughtful.

The elites recoiled in shock.

As far as the Sayians knew, the King was standing at 10 000 to 15 000. Nappa was widely known to be 12 000. Prince Vegeta was also a question as being somewhere between 15 000 and 20 000. Kakarot knew it to be slightly higher than that.

"Don't lie kid." Nana said sternly.

"I'm not. Do you really think the Prince would make me his property if I wasn't worth something to him?" Kakarot replied.

"He has a point." Bil muttered.

"So can I go now? This is really a day off for me and I don't think I'll be getting any more any time soon." Kakarot asked with a sigh.

"Yeah, whatever kid." Nana said smacking Bil upside the head when he opened his mouth to protest.

"Thanks!" Kakarot said before entering the shop he'd been going to earlier.

He looked around and noticed the stuff was all fighting related. There were bandages, Gi, Gi add-ons, level rank badges . . . It was all so new. Kakarot walked over to a display that held weapons. Oh these were great. Every item had a badge on it. Each badge represented its worth and which rank of soldier could have it. Had the Prince ever trained with these before?

Kakarot carefully lifted one of the items on display. It was beautiful. Could he have it? By all rights, no he couldn't. He was still a low class Sayian, classified at birth and forever to remain as such. With a heartfelt sigh he placed it back down just as carefully.

"You could have that sword boy if you so truly desired it. You have the right rank." The shopkeeper suddenly piped up.

"No, sword smith, I may not." Kakarot replied turning and bowing in respect to the old Sayian warrior behind the little counter. He was too old to fight but too Sayian like to do nothing. So he had chosen a profession that suited him and his Sayian lust. He had chosen to create weapons of war. Objects of great deadly beauty.

"I know who you really are boy. I made that sword so it is by law my property. You may have it. Think of it as a reward for not taking something that you easily could have. Oh and take its twin for that brat Prince of ours. I suspect you two will need them on this fool's errand you've chosen to follow." The older Sayian barked gruffly.

Kakarot bowed lowly again and very carefully picked up the sword, this time taking the other with him. They were identical in every way, apart from the colour.

He strapped one to his back and the other around his waist, just under his tail. Kakarot turned to leave the store but the old Sayian stopped him with a few last words.

"You look after those brat." He said sternly, "They also say that swords can keep Ki in them as a sort of reserve or for that extra oomph when you need it most."

"Yes sir." Kakarot said with a smile before walking out and blasting into the air far faster than he had arrived.

He went directly to the palace and to his room, planning on giving the sword to Prince Vegeta as a surprise. He wondered which colour was better suited for the Prince. There was a red one, red as the blood that pulsed through them all, giving them life. Then there was the black one, like the very night that surrounded them at the end of each day. The scabbard had a yellow disc at the top, representing the sacred and most beloved full moon. Which one was the right one for Prince Vegeta?

Kakarot landed in his room and carefully took both swords off, placing them on his bed. He lifted the red one and drew the blade, studying the etchings on the blade. Sayian ruins, long since forgotten but not completely.

_Pride above all else._

While that was true for the Prince. He was the proudest Sayian on the planet. Then again he had a harder life than the rest of them.

Swords were handy in battle because they had the ability to channel the wielder's Ki. In some cases it also amplified the charge. These blades were as such. Kakarot also noted that these had the ability to store Ki. That was rare. These were swords worthy of royals. So why had the Sayian let him have it?

Kakarot took the blade into his hands and concentrated. He concentrated his Ki into the purest form he could before sending it into the sword. There would come a day when he would need it more than he did today. He did the same for the other, trying to cram as much of his energy as he could into the swords without shattering them.

With a grin he put the swords under his bed. Somehow that felt right, for now. He then hopped back out the window and headed back for the city. He felt a little tired but it was in the good kind of way. Kind of like a really strenuous exercise routine. However he wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity to see the city through the eyes of an elite.

* * *

><p>Kakarot hummed to himself as he ate the sugary yet light substance. He'd given in only when it came to food. The rest of the things he'd left well enough alone. He didn't even look too long afraid that someone else might recognise him.<p>

His happy go lucky mood instantly vanished when a familiar Ki brushed his mind. Prince Vegeta and by the feel of it, he was angry, extremely angry, but he was still at the palace. No, now his Ki was jumping all over the place. What was going on?

Kakarot jumped in shock when two elite soldiers that wore the palace guard uniforms landed not far away. They landed with an intensity that cracked the ground and shattered windows. Kakarot felt his heart speed. What was going on?

The two Sayian guards scanned the crowds with deadly glares. Their eyes zeroed in on Kakarot and they immediately started to make their way over to him.

Kakarot was too shocked to move, much less sense the danger he was now in.

* * *

><p>"What HAVE YOU DONE!" Prince Vegeta screamed in a near uncontrollable rage.<p>

Nappa flinched away but stood his ground.

"I simply gave the King my analysis of your progress as I saw it." Nappa growled in reply.

"You fool. You have no idea what you have done and this time I won't forgive you." Prince Vegeta whispered, the panic finally starting to sink into his rage filled thoughts as he frantically tried to focus on his father's Ki.

Nappa looked at him in confusion but that didn't last long as Prince Vegeta closed his eyes and simply, uncaringly, blasted him to a mere pile of ash. The Sayians in the room all pressed against the wall in fear but they didn't dear make a move for the door, fearing that it would bring the Prince's attention to them.

What had Nappa done? Nappa had given the report as it suited him best. Yet, now the game Prince Vegeta seen as so amusing when the stupid tests had begun were now crashing around him in complete chaos. So yes it was easy to blame Nappa, a dead Sayian who could no longer defend himself.

. . . . . . but in reality it was he that was to blame.

With a snarl Prince Vegeta blasted straight through the wall. He wouldn't find his father. His mind was far too chaotic for that. Instead he sought out the one Sayian he truly wished to find. One thought kept repeating itself over and over again in his mind. What had he done?

It was supposed to have been a joke. Nothing like this was supposed to have happened. Prince Vegeta could feel something inside of him that he had never felt before and he hated it. He hated this feeling of urgency and lord forbid, _pain_. Kakarot meant nothing to him. So why was he feeling these things. He didn't even know what it was.

Whatever it was, it only intensified when he felt the spike in Kakarot's Ki. He immediately flew faster. There wasn't any time to waste.

Kakarot was in the city. The centre of the Sayian Empire. Prince Vegeta gasped when he sensed his father's Ki. Finally. It was right there, next to Kakarot's wildly fluctuating Ki. Oh no. . . . .

With a scream of pure seething rage Prince Vegeta flipped through the air and slammed his boots into the head of the Sayian guard holding Kakarot down. He stopped his vicious momentum dead in its tracks so that he was able to spin violently and send the other guard flying to meet the other one.

He landed on the floor in front of Kakarot seething at the floor. Slowly, with barely leashed control he looked up and into his father's eyes.

"You will NOT touch him _ever_ again." Prince Vegeta said lowly, only making that statement that much more dangerous.

"You have forgotten your place Vegeta." The King snapped angrily.

"NO! IT IS YOU WHO HAVE GROWN WEAK! YOU WHO BY RIGHTS SHOULD BE THE ONE TRAINING ME BUT CANNOT BECAUSE OF HOW PATHETIC YOU ARE!" Prince Vegeta screamed his rage finally snapping.

It was a rage he had bottled up for years. His father made to hit him but he stood no chance. Prince Vegeta caught the fist so easily it actually made him want to cry.

"That boy has made you a disgrace to the Sayian people! You have no right to even call yourself a Sayian much less a Prince!" King Vegeta snapped wrenching his hand from the Prince's grasp.

"Were you just looking for an excuse?" Prince Vegeta asked, finally starting to understand.

When the King didn't answer Prince Vegeta turned away from him and looked down at Kakarot who was kneeling on the ground, looking down and trembling. Prince Vegeta knelt down next to him and placed a gloved hand under Kakarot's chin, forcing him to look up.

Blood poured from Kakarot's nose and from a cut just above his eyebrow. His breathing was strained, filled with pain. His eyes were filled with confusion and hurt, but it was not the pain that filled his breaths that reflected in his eyes. No this was the pain of betrayal.

"Why do you let them do this to you?" Prince Vegeta whispered.

"Why do you let them do this to you?" Kakarot repeated, only he wanted a different answer than the one he could give.

"I'll explain later." Prince Vegeta muttered before getting to his feet and pulling Kakarot with him.

"You continue to disgrace yourself and the Sayians. Release the brat and stand aside. You will do as you're told Vegeta. You are not King yet." King Vegeta said angrily.

"As I said, you will not have him." Prince Vegeta replied just as angrily.

"Do you not understand that this is for your own good?" King Vegeta snarled almost pleadingly.

"What? Based upon Nappa's report? That report was a joke." Prince Vegeta sneered.

King Vegeta looked at him in confusion.

"You know father, there really is a lot you need to learn." Prince Vegeta smirked before releasing the restraints he had placed upon his power before the tests had begun.

Scouters all around them bleeped to life and started to register a power that had never before been recorded in Sayian history.

"My own good you say." Prince Vegeta scoffed, "Just look at what he has done for me already _father_."

"How is this possible?" King Vegeta breathed out in shock.

Prince Vegeta ignored him turning instead back to Kakarot.

"You! Why did you not defend yourself?" The Prince demanded.

Kakarot's eyes were still on the floor. He didn't even react to the Prince's barked command. He had no idea what was going on and all he really wanted right now was to go home. He wanted things to go back to the way they had been before. He just wanted not to be noticed. He needed a break.

"Kakarot!" Prince Vegeta snapped walking closer to the younger Sayian.

"Leave me alone." Kakarot murmured almost inaudibly.

"What did you say!" Prince Vegeta demanded grabbing the top of Kakarot's armour and giving him a little shake.

"I said leave me alone!" Kakarot yelled, his confusion snapping to anger as he slammed his fist into the Prince's face.

Prince Vegeta flew backwards and slammed into a building. Kakarot's anger was directly linked to his Ki as it too spiked up at dramatic speeds. He walked over to where the Prince was picking himself up off the floor.

"You think you can just get whatever you want, no matter the cost to everyone around you. You think you can have it just because you possess more power than the rest of the Sayians. Well guess what my Prince, you can't." Kakarot said coldly.

"I see there's a Sayian in you after all." Prince Vegeta coughed with a laugh.

"Hardly, I just learnt from the best. I just want you to know something. It might not make a difference to you, but it means the world to me. I was happy. Exactly where I had been, I was happy." Kakarot replied his eyes shining with tears.

"You were living a lie." Prince Vegeta snapped.

"It was my lie to live!" Kakarot yelled.

"Your whole life was a joke! Especially your family!" Prince Vegeta yelled back.

Kakarot screamed out his frustration and sprang at the Prince, fighting him for the first time while holding nothing back. Every punch and every kick was a meant to be a word he could not say, a life he could not have.

Prince Vegeta fought back, using everything he knew just to not get hit by the infuriated Sayian. The two blazed across the city, levelling buildings in their destructive battle. Sayians could only watch in awe as the two blurred figures battled out their frustrations and anger. Intensity knew no bounds as the two very well fought for their lives. Most of the Sayians couldn't even see the fight.

Both Kakarot and the Prince landed a devastating blow to the other at the same time. The two spiralled down to the ground, hitting it hard and painfully. Prince Vegeta groaned and rolled over so that he lay on his back. Both of them were gasping for air, staring up at the sky in amazement.

Kakarot suddenly started to laugh. It was weakly at first but soon he was laughing so hard it hurt.

"Feel better?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks." Kakarot replied.

"Any time." Prince Vegeta replied just wanting to go to sleep.

"So you going to explain what that back there was all about?" Kakarot asked.

"Not right now. I need something to eat." Prince Vegeta replied.

"One last thing, why is Prince Tarble with your father?" Kakarot asked.  
>"He is? Well clearly I don't know the answer to that. It's interesting but not enough that I want to move just yet." Prince Vegeta groaned out.<p>

The two lay silently as the chaos around them fluctuated in tempo. Medic Sayians were brought in to take both of them to the medical bay. Prince Vegeta tried to refuse a rejuvenation tank but reluctantly allowed it when Kakarot reminded him that it would allow him to train faster.

Prince Vegeta thought in complete annoyance that he was never going to get back to his training at this rate.

* * *

><p>"When the tests started I had thought it would have been amusing to see how my father reacted should my result be lower than that of my previous test. So I deliberately did worse on everything. Nappa was the one in charge and he made the report seem as though you were the cause of my sudden loss of power. My father got angry and ordered your execution." Prince Vegeta sighed as he watched the sun set.<p>

Kakarot remained silent as he stood next to the Prince, waiting for him to finish.

"Turns out he was just looking for an excuse to get rid of you. He believes that you're influencing me in a bad way, in an un-Sayian like way. He thinks that I am nothing more than a disgrace now but there is nothing that he can do since I and even you are stronger than him. He does however think that he is stronger than your father but he is sorely mistaken." Prince Vegeta continued thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry." Kakarot said softly.

"Why?"

"I am the cause of this." Kakarot sighed.

"Hn, it was a long time coming. You are merely the thing that pushed it over the edge. It could've been anything." Prince Vegeta snorted.

"Ohkay." Kakarot said looking at the sunset as well.

"Tomorrow we are training. No matter if it rains, snows or if the sun is shining. Tomorrow there will be no interruptions. You got that!" Prince Vegeta said.

"Yes sir." Kakarot replied with a grin.

"You got that right." Prince Vegeta approved with a smirk.


	13. Chapter 13 UnSayian like display

**This chapter starts off a little deep but it puts the last chapter into perspective and clears the emotional air so to speak.**

**To dbzcalculatur, thanks for the tip but in Bardock the father of Goku, his power level was thought to be close to the King's own power level. It is also stated on various websites that this power is near 10 000. His power will increase in the story but as it stands right now I feel that the power levels in the story are slightly exaggerated but not at the same time, if that makes any sense to you. **

Chapter 13

"Finally!" Prince Vegeta yelled with an honest grin as he stretched out in the sky.

Kakarot laughed at him, enjoying the freedom as well. They were finally getting back to their training. Kakarot was a little worried about Prince Tarble but Prince Vegeta would not be distracted from his training once more.

"So you actually killed Nappa." Kakarot said in wonder, he'd never killed anyone before so the idea was still very new to him.

"Yes. He was just on the unfortunate receiving end of my anger. However he was planning a rebellion." Prince Vegeta said thoughtfully but also without hesitation.

Kakarot looked at him, saw the tiny crease between his eyebrows. It was poof that killing other Sayians did bother him but he didn't know any different.

"What about you? You suddenly turned very violent." Prince Vegeta asked with a raised brown and a teasing smirk.

Kakarot went red and looked away, focusing on their destination.

"Kakarot, come on. It's a simple question." Prince Vegeta pressed very close to laughing.

Kakarot glanced at him before sighing in defeat and muttering, "I guess it was a blow up. Generally when things get a bit much I go out and train. . . .but this time you insisted."

Prince Vegeta's amused expression drooped. Why would Kakarot feel the need to blow up? It wasn't as if all that many major things had happened.

"Don't get me wrong, it's not just this thing with the palace. I mean it's actually started before that." Kakarot added turning over in mid-air and staring up at the sky and he mulled over his words.

"Like Radditz and my dad fight A LOT. Maybe that's normal for Sayians, I don't know, but when they fight it's usually about me." Kakarot said with a shrug.

Prince Vegeta was too shocked to reply. All he could do now was shut up and listen.

"Then they had this huge fight about the tournament. My dad didn't want Radditz to fight in it and Radditz wanted to fight in it all the more just because my dad said he couldn't. Well you know what happened next." Kakarot looked at him this time, knowing that he had been sitting at that tournament. Had been forced to see Sayian after Sayian being pummelled into the tournament ring. That had been why he could not retrieve Kakarot right after he had left. He couldn't. As the Prince he was supposed to sit next to his father at such events.

"Then you show up and BAM! The next thing I know I'm forced to live at the palace under the threat that you'll harm my family. You know if you'd just asked I would've done it anyways." Kakarot said using his hands to talk with him and a tiny pout at the Prince when he spoke the last part.

Prince Vegeta looked at him with wide eyes. It had never even occurred to him that all he need to was to simply ask. All his life he'd had to fight for what he had. For everything. He cleared his throat and looked away uncomfortably. "I did not know that I could but simply ask."

Kakarot floated into his line of vision and smiled warmly before saying two words that floored the Prince even more, "I know."

"Anyways, so now that everything I had always known and learned to live with no longer applied I was forced to once again learn the ways around me. Let's see if I have this straight. Everyone at the Palace are elites, except the medical staff, the kitchen team, Tarble and me. Everyone is polite and obedient on the surface but on the inside all they really want is to kill each other and move higher up on the political ladder. Everyone wants to be at the top, well everyone except you, and rule the Sayian Empire. None of them however, realise what it means to be the Sayian King. You are the first to bow down to Frieza, and the one that must bow the lowest, be the one that takes the most damage to your pride. You also can't go train regularly since you have to sit on the throne and delegate trivial matters while everyone around you secretly plots to kill you. Now that's just the life of your average elite Sayian. For our Prince on the other hand, it's training hell. He tries and tries so hard but he isn't getting to where he wants to be. Even while he trains to break the shackles that bind us all, that are in the iron fisted rule of Frieza, Sayians around him despise him and are disloyal to him. While he kills himself to try and be better every day Sayians around him laugh at his failure instead of commending his achievements. He hurts inside but he cannot show it since the Sayians will crucify him, so he shows them what they want to see, cold, hard, and ruthless. Forced now to damage his pride because of an unfair task placed upon his shoulders at birth, forced now to train with a Sayian considered un-Sayian like to those around him. He does it because he feels that as the Prince it is his responsibility to free his people." Kakarot said quietly, barely above a whisper.

As he had spoken they had started to drift towards the ground. They touched down now and the silence between them was deafening. Yet Kakarot had only scratched the surface. He hadn't gone into to detail, just the very mere basics. Prince Vegeta's mind was a seething mass of confusion and pain. This Sayian had seen into the very mechanics of their daily lives, seen to the very core of it all. No wonder he wasn't still upset by the things that happened. Prince Vegeta barely had time to process what had been said before Kakarot was talking again.

"So then you killed Kree and I didn't know if I should forgive you or not but then I remembered that you had it so much harder than me, even if you weren't being beaten for being pathetic and taunted because of it. You didn't know what it was like to handle things any other way than with violence. It's how you react to everything." Kakarot continued as though he was having a conversation with himself.

"Kakarot, stop for just a moment–" Prince Vegeta tried to say, starting to feel overwhelmed but Kakarot continued relentlessly.

"After Kree you continued to push me for my already given obedience. Radditz had awoken and he had told me the truth he felt in his heart, had been feeling for years. His anger was justified and for that I could not blame, nor be angry with him. All I could do was accept that I was once again the cause of another's pain." Kakarot was pacing now, his emotions starting to gain the same momentum as his words.

Prince Vegeta was a helpless observer to the emotional torment that he had helped to cause.

"Then I met Prince Tarble. Oh my Prince, he is so sad, so in need of your attention but knows you cannot give it as he needs it for you have to train. I want to help him Prince but I do not know how. His pain far surpassed my own." Kakarot was crying now, silent tears were streaming down his face.

"My father came home and things were ohkay again, just for a moment and then he was gone as he always must be. I know he must leave but it's harder each time because I know that maybe he just might not come back at all." Kakarot was practically bawling now and Prince Vegeta moved to do the only thing his befuddled brain could think to do. He wrapped his arms around the younger Sayian and held him close. He did not say a word, he simply held him.

"Now the King hates me because he thinks I'm not worthy to be helping you with your training. He knew I was holding back the first time we fought and he told me it was disrespectful to you. So when I showed him what I was capable of it only seemed to anger him more. Why can no one in that place just be happy for you, that you've made it far further than any of them ever could?" Kakarot sobbed, his words starting to blend into something unintelligible.

Prince Vegeta held him tighter. Even in his pain, Kakarot cared that he was not happy, that he was not being respected as he should be. Prince Vegeta closed his eyes in his own silent pain as he absorbed the very words that he had longed to say, longed to hear for far too long.

"Kakarot. We can only survive. It's all we have left. It's all we know. So you must simply survive." Prince Vegeta said quietly.

Kakarot's sobs started to lessen and he pulled away from the Prince. He looked up at him, silently observing his blank expression. Kakarot's tear stained, red and puffy face broke into a grin and the younger Sayian said the one thing that was practically music to the older Sayian's ears, "Let's go train."

* * *

><p>"Why is it getting so cold?" Prince Vegeta yelled over to Kakarot.<p>

"It's getting colder because we're going to the Doslorien Mountains. It snows there." Kakarot yelled back.

Prince Vegeta saw it now. The vast seemingly never ending monstrosities that rose from the horizon to glare at them in unwelcoming challenge.

"We have to hurry if we want to make it in time!" Kakarot yelled.

"Make it in time for what?" Prince Vegeta yelled after Kakarot who had just sped up.

Prince Vegeta rolled his eyes and flew faster to match Kakarot's pace. Kakarot looked at him and grinned in pure ecstasy, "Can you feel it?" he yelled.

"No!" Prince Vegeta yelled back.

Kakarot only laughed. No, he hadn't expected the Prince to feel the energy building up all around them in preparation for the storm that was about to hit. He wasn't skilled in Ki sensing enough to feel the utter exhilaration this caused.

"Why do you have to train in the damndest places? It's fucking cold!" Prince Vegeta complained, cussing his adequate displeasure.

"Well I didn't get my power by playing it safe. Anyways that's the test. Ki control. You have to stay alive by balancing warmth and exhaustion." Kakarot yelled back starting to lower towards the mountain range and the snow, "Hurry up!" he added over his shoulder.

He was basically hopping with excitement. He loved the storms, well before they hit. The energy that was charged in the sky always felt so amazing! Kakarot lowered to the ground and started to run. The wind was picking up, the temperature was rising but it would drop soon and drastically. He knew that this storm was going to hit suddenly and not build up gradually. It must have been brewing for weeks now. Just their luck. He scanned the area trying to spot the elusive saving grace in the harsh frozen surroundings. The white snow all around them hurt to look at directly so he didn't. Hopefully the Prince would realise as much too.

"Where are we going?" Prince Vegeta asked running just behind the younger Sayian.

"Somewhere where we'll be relatively safe from the storm." Kakarot replied.

"STORM! What storm?" Prince Vegeta asked in alarm.

"Don't worry, as long as you stay in the cave it'll be ohkay." Kakarot replied rolling his eyes and taking a sharp right.

The Prince saw the cave then, well the entrance anyways. Kakarot disappeared when he entered, the inky darkness concealing his form instantly. Prince Vegeta hurried in after him, the cold biting into his skin. He hated the cold. Any respectful Sayian did. Then again Kakarot did say that he'd only ever gotten his power by not playing it safe.

"It's freezing in here. Can't we build a fire or something?" Prince Vegeta complained.

"No. There's nothing to burn out here. Besides the trick is balance and Ki control. What's the point of being here if we just huddle by a fire?" Kakarot replied shifting around to try and find a comfortable place to sit.

Prince Vegeta gapped at him. He has got to be kidding. He watched as the now fourteen year old Sayian closed his eyes and appeared to meditate.

"You can work on your inner Ki control too. Suppress it outwardly while still keeping it active, keep yourself warm." Kakarot added almost as an afterthought.

"Do you come here often?" Prince Vegeta asked, reluctantly sitting down as well, opposite Kakarot.

"Sometimes." Kakarot muttered, "It's not my first choice if that's what you're wondering."

The wind outside had picked up radically. They were sheltered from it inside the cave but not the cold. That sunk into the stone floor and in turn, it sunk into their bodies. Prince Vegeta hated the cold, hell any self-respecting Sayian hated the cold, but then again hadn't he already thought that. The cold must be getting to his brain already. All his instincts screamed at him to do was raise his power, keep as warm as he was comfortable with, however his brain knew that he couldn't do that. Focus. That was the key he needed to survive this. Getting angry wasn't going to solve anything.

"How long do these storms usually last?" Prince Vegeta asked through clenched teeth.

"Anywhere from a day to two days." Kakarot replied after a moment of consideration.

Two days? He was going to die. It was official. He was going to kill Kakarot. Not yet though. He had to get through this. He was the Prince of all Sayians. He was born to be better than the rest, he WAS better than them. So he had to stop whining about a little draft and get his head in gear. He needed to prove to his father and everyone else that he hadn't forgotten his pride. He had just taken a few necessary measures to ensure their victory.

To distract his mind from the burning pain he closed his eyes and looked within himself to find the pocket of warmth that was his Ki. It was far easier this time, and it seemed to greet him, as though he were an old friend coming home. He smirked inwardly. Looking deeper he could feel the thrum and pulse of his life force, feeding his body and mind, giving it it's very ability to function.

He tried to do as Kakarot had suggested, make his power outwardly appear to be dormant but have it inwardly active. Was that even possible? He constructed a mental barrier that's purpose was to hide his power. Would it work? He'd just have to wait and see. The only problem now becomes keeping focus. Kakarot's training surprisingly enough involved the conditioning and toning of the mind.

It seemed that his head injury hadn't caused damage but had rather provided him with the sense to be more observant and it was that trait that had lent him his peaceful nature.

"Hay did you bring food?" Prince Vegeta asked suddenly.

"No." Kakarot replied and even he had a hint of mourning in his tone.

Concentration blown.

Prince Vegeta shifted, having just realised how uncomfortable he was. He opened one eye to look at Kakarot, who seemed perfectly serene. Hn, idiot.

"So how much longer do you think it'll be till I reach the state of the legendary super Sayian?" Prince Vegeta asked casually.

"Hard to say." Kakarot replied distantly.

"Why?"

"No one knows what it even looks like."

"But I'm the strongest Sayian in the universe."

"So."

"So? What do you mean so?"

"What level is Cui at?" Kakarot asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"What level? What do you mean?" Prince Vegeta asked in confusion, struggling to keep up.

"Cui is seen as slightly higher than the foot soldiers right? He's not the best in Frieza's army, he doesn't even qualify as a potential threat right?" Kakarot clarified.

"Yes. He's a weakling fish boy that gets on my nerves every time Frieza's here but he's not a good warrior if even a warrior at all." Prince Vegeta replied with a scoff.

"His power is equal to yours." Kakarot replied simply as though that answered everything.

Silence blanketed everything for a few minutes while Prince Vegeta processed this information. Kakarot was just thinking that he had taken it rather well when all of a sudden the Prince's power exploded around him in a blazing purple aura.

"You have no idea what true power is." Prince Vegeta spat before storming from the cave.

Kakarot waited for only a heartbeat before jumping up and following him into the blistering ice. Really, he should have expected something like this but he had been naïve enough to think that they were past his ego by now.

"Prince Vegeta!" Kakarot yelled but his voice was carried away by the fierce winds. As it was it was getting difficult to even remain up right.

Prince Vegeta wouldn't admit it but Kakarot's revelation had struck a nerve. It had hurt him and deeply. It was necessary though, he had to know where he stood if her ever wanted to have a hope of defeating that lizard. It didn't make it hurt any less.

His anger raged with his power, levels so high that he didn't even feel the cold. He wanted to just go back to the palace and hit some useless training equipment. Problem was, he couldn't see which direction it was in due to the storm. He turned this way and that, his red cape whipping violently in the wind.

An object flew at him and pinned him to the floor. Hot, panting breath was at his ear.

"We need to go back to the cave. We'll freeze out here if we don't." Kakarot pleaded.

"Get off me. I'm not going anywhere with you." Prince Vegeta snapped trying to dislodge the smaller Sayian.

"Please Vegeta." Kakarot almost sobbed.

It was the first time he had addressed the Prince without using his title. It surprised him long enough for Kakarot to pulled them both to their feet and back towards the cave. By the time the Prince had gathered his scattered thoughts he could already see the entrance and he allowed it. It wasn't as though he could find the palace just yet anyways.

"We're going to have to make up for the lost energy." Kakarot breathed as he shivered.

"How?"

Kakarot glanced at him and then at the ground when his cheeks turned pink. "Uhm we'll have to remove the breastplates and sit very close together." He managed to squeak out.

What was this? Did innocent, low class little Kakarot actually have an idea of sexuality? Prince Vegeta smirked before he could stop himself and unclipped the cape from the shoulders of his armour. He then removed the white armour with the royal crest and dumped it down carelessly.

"Need help there Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta asked with a raised brow.

Kakarot shook his head before quickly removing his own armour. Prince Vegeta moved behind him and wrapped an arm around the younger Sayian's body, pulling him against his chest.

"Close enough?" he breathed in Kakarot's ear.

"I-I-I-I think it's ohkay." Kakarot stammered.

Prince Vegeta guided them both backwards to the cave wall and sat down so that he was leaning against it and Kakarot was leaning against his chest. He stretched over slightly and grabbed the red cape, wrapping it around them both. They couldn't leave until the storm was over. It wasn't training anymore so much as it was surviving.

Prince Vegeta could feel Kakarot's warmth and Kakarot could feel his but they could both feel the cold, creeping in and slowly taking over.

"I've heard it's like falling asleep." Kakarot muttered hoarsely.

"Hn. How would anyone know that? The people who experience it are dead." Prince Vegeta scoffed.

Kakarot chuckled weakly. Prince Vegeta didn't like that. Just how much energy had he wasted looking for the Prince? He hadn't gone very far due to the storm. He should ask the runt just how much longer he could last. He couldn't be as bad as he sounded.

"Kakarot?"

There was no reply.

Prince Vegeta frowned before looking down. Kakarot's eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. Barely there in fact. No, he couldn't have used up that much energy. It just wasn't possible. Kakarot was stronger than that. It was just a minute at most. They weren't out there long. Why wasn't he feeling the effects? He had surely used the most energy.

Prince Vegeta's thoughts froze.

"Kakarot you fool." he whispered as he finally realised what the idiot had done.

**I'm so bad. A cliff hanger. I had originally planned to finish this chapter shortly after uploading the last chapter but it didn't work out that way. Oh well. Anyways, please don't hate me. **


	14. Chapter 14 Trials and training

**I dunno, is this chapter earlier than the last one? Oh well unimportant. Enjoy XD Thank you to all my reviewers and my readers. The support is awesome! Congratulations to gothpandaotaku for guessing the situation correctly. **

Chapter 14.

"Why, you idiot? What good would it have done?" Prince Vegeta ranted at the walls, since there was no one else around to hear the words he spat in fearful anger.

Kakarot had slowly and carefully been giving the Prince his energy. Why? How hadn't the Prince noticed earlier? What the hell was he supposed to do now?

. . . . . . . What if Kakarot actually died? Prince Vegeta shook the thought from his mind, telling himself that he was only worried about the loss of a training partner. Nevertheless he had to do something and sitting here wasn't one of them. Could he wait out the storm? It would all depend on how much energy Kakarot had left.

The prince took a deep breath and closed his eyes before sensing out Kakarot's power. The smooth thrumming of energy was greatly depleted from the last time Prince Vegeta had sensed it, it fact it was barely there. He frowned before looking at his own power.

He had no idea how long this storm would last. He either took a chance and waited it out, or he took an even greater risk and flew them both out of the storm and hopefully to the palace.

He glanced down at the sleeping Sayian against his chest. His arms tightened subconsciously, holding the smaller Sayian as close as was physically possible.

Prince Vegeta's teeth snapped together audibly as he made up his mind. He shifted Kakarot's weight before lifting the Sayian, wrapping most of the red cape around him.

He walked as slowly as he dared to the entrance, trying to decide in which direction to fly. With a deep breath he shot into the air, flying as fast as his power allowed him to. He needed to get out of the storm and fast.

The wind was a force that acted against him, seeming to taunt him and drive him to fail. He refused to listen to the mocking wails that whistled in his ears. With a scream of rage that was carried away to worlds unknown Prince Vegeta pressed onwards. His anger lent him strength and protected him against the harsh icy blasts.

. . . . . . Still he could feel his power draining as though he were simply giving it away. He could feel the weariness creeping in. His eyes were barely open to protect them from the icy flakes. He squinted through them, trying to spot a way out. No matter what, he couldn't give up.

* * *

><p>"Tarble!" King Vegeta barked.<p>

Prince Tarble jumped and returned his attention to the matters at hand. His father had ordered him to be in the throne room, there to listen and learn of the matters of the Planet. Mostly though he was there to learn the ruthless game of politics. He still wasn't sure why. Wasn't his brother to be King?

Prince Tarble tried his best to keep up and so far he thought he was doing well. After all he had entered the game halfway through. He had figured out a good portion of the Sayian hate relationship. Neither friendly smile nor helpful suggestion was given without some sort of selfish hidden agenda. Each one wore a mask that hid their desire to rise about the rest, as close to the King as possible.

He couldn't help but notice the tension in the room. Was it always like that, or was it merely his presence. Usually he had to be silent, hardly seen. He had to leave his brother to train as best as he could so that he could become the legendary super Sayian. He was simply the disgraced Royal son that failed to live up to unfairly high expectations.

". . . . unfortunate loss of Nappa has left a gap in our chain of command. The Sayian promoted to this position will be given the task of training my second son, Tarble. Nappa has neglected this task greatly so it will not be an easy task, but I'm sure you'll all remember the potential predicted for my son at birth. At one stage it was said that he might even surpass Vegeta himself." King Vegeta rumbled in his deep baritone voice, catching the said Sayian off guard as he stared at his father in open mouth shock.

He was going to be trained? Nappa hadn't neglected him . . . no, he had cast him aside for a 'more important' task. He'd been useless apparently. A waste of a Sayian Prince. Had his power really been so respectable? It was hard to say for sure. Even Sayians lost their power when they did not feed it, did not hone and respect what it could be.

"Zorn, you will be the Sayian to take over from Nappa. You will handle his duties, all except one. Prince Vegeta is no longer your concern. He is greatly above your ability and your influence. You will instead, be training Prince Tarble. I want to see improvement soon." King Vegeta announced and ordered swiftly.

Zorn, elite member of the Royal Guard, had not even considered himself eligible for the position. He was not exactly the perfect Sayian soldier. In fact his only standing, his only reason for having gotten as far as he had was because he was one of the strongest Sayians on the planet. He wasn't anywhere near the King, or what Nappa had been but he was considered a fearful opponent.

From his place by the King's left shoulder he bowed low to the floor. A barked command to begin at once made him stand up straight and glance over at the young Prince Tarble.

He had never had much occasion to see the Prince. He'd barely heard anything about him either. The most anyone knew of him was that he had been born with what Sayians considered a 'fluke' power. His birth had apparently been under strenuous circumstances and that in turn caused his power to be unexpectedly high for a new born. Hence the high expectations.

Had the King forgotten that part? Zorn walked over to the stupefied younger Prince and picked him up by the collar of his armour. Why the sudden interest in a dead subject?

Then again the Sayian Bardock and his freak son Kakarot did show that there was promise in everyone, if enough attention was given. Somehow that job had fallen to him.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta pressed on, not recognising their surroundings. He was no longer in the mountains but he was no longer sure of where the Sayian cities were either.<p>

He realised that their problem was nothing more than exhaustion and cursed his stupidity. All he and Kakarot really needed was somewhere decent to sleep. He snarled at his own denseness and slowed his erratic pace so that he could properly see the ground below them. He had to move fast as it was nearing sunset.

The area around them appeared to be a part of the Rikki Desert but it wasn't as extreme. In fact the temperature appeared to be just suited for the Sayian body. It was a nice change from the burning, numbing ice that had nearly cost them both everything. There was also an even balance of sand and foliage. Here and there water pools to small streams dotted the terrain, sparkling like clear gems.

Wait a minute. What was that? In the distance a pile of rocks stood out from the uneven terrain. It seemed almost unnatural yet his Sayian side yearned toward it. He wanted to go there and badly. He didn't have the energy to fight this urge so he obliged it, lowering toward it.

His boots touched down on the ground and he shifted Kakarot so that the Sayian was more comfortable before walking carefully to the hazy rocks.

As he got closer though, he saw that it was not rocks at all. He blinked as he took in the sight. It was amazing. No wonder he liked this place so much. He smirked and walked faster. He didn't think anything like this would still exist.

It made perfect sense though. After all before the war with the Tuffles, he was sure the Sayians had lived somewhere. Now, there in front of him, was the answer to one of his many questions. The pile of 'rocks' had really been stone dwellings.

Building the houses themselves had probably been some sort of training. They were magnificently done. Each rock had been placed just so. There were no gaps and everything appeared to have been made with stability in mind. The Tuffle buildings were awkward and had clearly been built with technological effectiveness as well as their warped idea of beauty.

A gust of wind blew and a piece of animal pelt covering the doorway fluttered aside. Convenient. Even nature recognised his royal superiority, the Prince joked to himself. He looked around the stone building. He was more than surprised to see a bed in the centre. It had thick furs on it, making it look quite padded and comfy.

He gently placed Kakarot down on the large bed and looked around. The place looked as though it had been abandoned in a hurry. There was a knocked over tree stump that could've been a table or even a chair. There was a fire pit that had sand haphazardly thrown over it. Just another reminder of the haste this place had been left with.

He reluctantly reminded himself that at the very least it could've been thirty years since any Sayian had lived here, due to the war.

His exhaustion made itself known with a vengeance and Prince Vegeta's knees nearly buckled. He glanced at the bed and noted that it was big enough for them both, with room to spare.

Since their armour was back in the cave it was simply a matter of lying down and closing his eyes. The minute he'd settled on the bed though, which really was quite soft and comfy, Kakarot sleepily turned towards him. Prince Vegeta froze as he waited to see what he would do. Kakarot snuggled into his side and began to purr in content. Now this didn't bug him as much as he knew it should've.

Prince Vegeta decided to leave it for another day, to be addressed secretly and perhaps not at all.

* * *

><p>In their short afternoon together, Zorn had learned that Prince Tarble knew little to nothing of fighting. It was remarkable that he had as much power as he had at the current moment.<p>

Zorn studied the youth as he stared at his boots. Worse still, young Prince Tarble did not see why he had to train so his co-operation was at a bare minimum.

"They should be back by now." Prince Tarble muttered.

"What?"

"Prince Vegeta and Kakarot. Something's wrong." Prince Tarble said more clearly.

Zorn saw the concern that the younger Sayian was trying so hard to hide. He had made it seem as though he had been stating mere facts. "How do you know?"

"Every day, they are back in time for dinner." Prince Tarble said with a tiny smile.

Zorn glanced out at the fading sky. As it was, they themselves were late for dinner.

"I'm sure they're fine. Now let us get to our own food." Zorn replied.

Prince Tarble didn't know what to think of this Sayian. He was different, caring. If memory served him correctly then Zorn was actually the one that suggested his 'disappearance' to the King for when Frieza came to visit. It was to protect both himself and the Sayians.

Zorn had never taunted him nor had he ever given Prince Tarble any dirty looks for no more than breathing. So perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad.

When they entered the dining hall Prince Tarble moved automatically to his seat in the corner of the room. His father's barked command stopped him however, "Tarble! You will sit here. You are a Prince of the house of Vegeta." As if he didn't know. What was with the sudden change though? Prince Tarble went to the chair his father pointed at and noted the silent bewildered stares all around the table. It seemed that no one else knew what the King was up to either.

* * *

><p>Whispering filled the air as the two Sayians slept. Neither stirred in their exhaustion as they were surrounded and carefully restrained.<p>

"They will wake eventually." A voice hissed.

"And when they do, they will face trial." Another hissed back.

* * *

><p>Kakarot was quite happy in his half-conscious state. He was warm and comfortable, he was with the Prince. There was something niggling in the corner of his mind but he wasn't too bothered just yet. Prince Vegeta's scent filled his mind, intoxicated him. Nope, he was quite content to just stay where he was.<p>

Prince Vegeta jerked awake, knocking Kakarot flying in his haste. Kakarot didn't fly far though and ended up thumping on the soft furs with a disgruntled groan.

"What's the deal?" Kakarot complained.

"Shut up Kakarot and help me remove these forsaken things." Prince Vegeta snapped turning his bound hands towards the younger Sayian, "Gods! How could I have been so stupid?"

"I'm sorry my Prince but I'm also stuck." Kakarot muttered very quietly while his cheeks were stained pink.

"You want to tell me that we can't break out of these things?" Prince Vegeta asked drily.

"Well we probably could but it might send the wrong message to whoever did this." Kakarot said carefully.

At that moment the animal pelt covering the doorway was roughly thrown aside and a Sayian, a particularly large male Sayian stormed in.

"Whoa, that guy makes Nappa look tiny." Kakarot said in open mouthed awe.

"Shut it Kakarot."

Prince Vegeta was grasped by the upper arms and lifted from the bed so that he was eye level with the Sayian who was scowling at him. Prince Vegeta glared right back refusing to be intimidated by his own subjects.

"So I see you trespassing city loving brats are finally awake." He snarled.

"Unhand me you imbecile. Do you have any idea as to who I am?!" Prince Vegeta commanded angrily.

The Prince was thrown from the room and through the doorway only to land with a painful thud on the ground outside. He was quick to jump to his feet but an unseen and unexpected blow to the stomach forced him to his knees once more with a pained cough.

Kakarot soon joined him via ass slide across the floor. He wisely kept his mouth shut but his eyes were wide with astonishment. Prince Vegeta felt his anger rise at the sight of Kakarot being so carelessly handled, but it was his respect for Kakarot that kept him from lashing out just yet.

"This one looks like that fool Vegeta." A cold female voice drawled.

Prince Vegeta looked towards the source and saw a scantily dressed female staring down her nose at him, her head at an angle that made the downward trajectory so much greater. Her half closed eyes gave her a lazy predatory look that was only amplified by the half smirk on her features. Even for a Sayian she was one cold hearted bitch.

"That fool you speak so lowly of is my father and I may not like the Sayian but no one disrespects him in front of me and gets away with it." Prince Vegeta snapped.

"Hmmmm, a loud mouth for someone so weak." The gigantic Sayian rumbled in amusement.

Prince Vegeta narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth but did not say anything. He wanted to see what they were up too. There were more Sayians than the ones looking at them. Four Sayians surrounded them and they all wore animal furs instead of armour. Their tails were haphazardly displayed behind them, showing their every emotion. How idiotic. What was their deal?

"Hay you said that we were trespassing but by the look of things this place hasn't been touched in years." Kakarot suddenly piped in causing the Prince to roll his eyes.

"Well shorty, no one has but this here is still our territory."

"Look, we were kind of just looking for a place to crash since we were running low and this place was all I could find since numbskull navigator over there fell asleep." Prince Vegeta grumbled.

Kakarot blinked at him in surprise. Since when did the Prince talk like that? Kakarot burst out laughing. Did he realise just how silly he had sounded.

"Shut it Kakarot." Prince Vegeta snapped again only this time it sounded more like he was embarrassed rather than giving a command.

Kakarot was shocked out of his laughter when a Sayian phased into sight right in front of him, making him jump. "You're weird." The Sayian announced with narrowed eyes.

"I demand that you untie me at once. This is treason." Prince Vegeta yelled, not liking how close the other Sayian was to Kakarot.

"Oh and what makes you such a hot shot?"

"What have you been doing, living under a rock?" Prince Vegeta snorted, "I'm the Prince and by Sayian law you have to listen to me. Now I'll repeat this only one more time. Untie me at once."

"Prince! That title means nothing out here boy. Besides you're awfully weak for a _Prince_." The Sayian that had stuck his face at Kakarot's sneered, "Fancy clothes and pretty names mean nothing out here small fry."

With an enraged snarl the Prince snapped his bonds and flew at the Sayian, intending to slam a fist into that smug mug of his.

"Prince Vegeta wait!" Kakarot yelled breaking his own bonds.

He wasn't going to be able to talk the prince out of this one so he did the only thing he could think of.

Prince Vegeta snarled in rage when the face his fist had slammed across and been none other than Kakarot's. Kakarot once more found himself being dragged across the ground by his own momentum.

"Fool! What do you think you're doing?!" Prince Vegeta yelled out angrily, while the other Sayians stared on in shock.

Kakarot sat up and rubbed his bruised cheek, "I didn't think you were going to hit the guy that hard." He sniffed.

"I didn't think you were stupid enough to get in the way. What the hell are you protecting these guys for anyway, idiot."

"ENOUGH!"

Both Kakarot and Prince Vegeta's attention snapped towards the source of the impatient command. A Sayian that appeared to be around the same age as the King stood on raised ground as he surveyed the situation before him.

"You want a fight boy, you got one." He said in a very quiet tone.

"Galick! You don't need to do that. Let me fight the runt." The female Sayian said quickly.

"No Suska. I owe that boy's family a beating. After what his father did I'd like to kill him."

Prince Vegeta had not missed the old timer's name, Galick, as in his father's Galick Gun attack. He could also preform the powerful attack but he preferred not to since his father liked it and he just loved disappointing the Sayian.

"I am not my father and don't make the mistake of thinking that I am." Prince Vegeta warned.

Silence greeted him as the Sayian Galick walked closer.

"Hang on, what did King Vegeta do that makes you hate Prince Vegeta so much?" Kakarot asked innocently as he got to his feet.

"Hn. _King_ Vegeta is responsible for the reckless loss of hundreds if not thousands of Sayian lives in his fool pursuit for planetary domination." Galick spat.

"If you're referring to the war with the Tuffles then the loss is justified. It was necessary. Besides those Sayians knew what they were getting into before they even started the war." Prince Vegeta shrugged.

"Uh yes, spoken by the ignorant one himself. Our victory against the Tuffles was by no more than sure dumb luck. Sayians fought only because that is what Sayians love to do. We didn't know that it was going to be a full moon. Your father insisted upon attacking relentlessly even though the Tuffle technology was far superior to our fighting capabilities at the time. I told him to wait for the full moon, that it would come but he refused to listen to me." Galick snarled with a hatred that rivalled Prince Vegeta's.

"Doesn't beat around the bush does he?" Kakarot whispered to the Prince.

"So you think you can judge me by my father's actions?" Prince Vegeta asked, ignoring Kakarot.

"I can and I will. Besides boy, you're trespassing. When your father took the planet from the Tuffles not all the Sayians agreed with him. As a result they were banished from the cities, forced to remain in our ancestral homes. That would be why you're trespassing."

"Hn. Well you can go ahead and try to judge me any way you see fit but I am Prince of the Sayians, and it's not by blood alone. I am Prince because of Sayian law." Prince Vegeta said arrogantly.

Kakarot saw that this got reactions from the other Sayians, confused them and made them curious. How much did they know of the elusive city life?

"You know what kid, your talk irritates me." Suska said with a growl. What was she so angry about? She made a move towards the Prince but Kakarot was the one that blocked her way. He grinned broadly as he raised his hands to show that he meant no harm.

"Wait a minute. We don't want to fight you guys. That would be completely unfair." Kakarot said quickly.

"Speak for yourself moron. I want to fight them. Try finding a reason as to why I don't want to kill them." Prince Vegeta huffed moodily and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I thought we'd gotten over the homicidal tendencies." Kakarot pouted.

"No, it's only you that's an airy fairy idiot." Prince Vegeta smirked, looking at Kakarot with clear superiority.

"Oh my Artemis I can't take it anymore!" Suska yelled her aura flaring to life around her as she sprang at Kakarot who was closer. Kakarot yelped and ducked causing Suska to hit the Prince.

Everything froze except for the Prince's features twisting into a scowl of displeasure. Suska's aura fizzled out with an almost audible pop as she stared with wide eyed shock at her fist. It was planted against Prince Vegeta's face but his head had not moved an inch.

She hastily backed up when she saw that his expression was only getting darker. None of the other Sayians had recovered enough to intervene apart from Kakarot and he was having a tough time convincing the Prince that it wasn't a good idea to kill Suska. As it was he was standing in front of the Prince with his hands on his chest, restraining, his feet dragging along the ground making deep trenches as he looked at the Prince and tried to reason with him.

"Come on Prince Vegeta, you didn't even feel that . . . . . you sure you want to do this . . . . . she doesn't know any better . . . . . she's pretty too and hitting her would leave scars –– WHOA!" Kakarot's reasoning cut off mid-sentence as he found himself flying through the air, not having expected the arm he'd been hanging on to restrain the Prince's punch to fly in the opposite direction.

Kakarot now found himself as the bewildered receiver of Prince Vegeta's rage, "YOU THINK SHE'S PRETTY!"

Prince Vegeta's mouth clamped shut as though he'd been electrocuted. He cough, the tiniest blush spreading across his cheeks before he hastily added, "Those who are enemy to the Sayian empire are NOT pretty."

"I'm sorry Prince Vegeta, I didn't know that." Kakarot replied from his spot in the air.

"Did I miss something?" Suska asked a tall thin and surprisingly sickly looking Sayian standing next to her.

He shrugged before replying, "Beats me."

"Were we not in the middle of a trial, whatever that is." The Prince snapped at Galick who had been watching silently.

"Now I might not have seen your father recently but I wonder what he would think of the heir to his throne not having any heirs himself." Galick mused with a smirk that spoke volumes.

"What are you talking about old man!?" Prince Vegeta snarled, his tail uncurling and whipping about in his agitation.

Galick only started to laugh harder. He looked at the Prince and his laughter turned to a chuckle. "This is punishment for the fool enough. Get out of here before I change my mind."

Prince Vegeta stared at him silently for a moment before shooting into the air, grabbing hold of Kakarot and taking the confused Sayian with him.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell have you been?!" The King roared when he took in the less than kosher appearance of his son and his training partner. "What have you been doing? Where is your armour?!"<p>

Prince Vegeta waited impatiently for his father to finish his rampage. He tolerated it for only a moment longer before rolling his eyes and turning to walk to the kitchens. He was famished and that wasn't the I last ate and hour ago famished. He hadn't eaten in a day, perhaps longer.

"Vegeta! Where is your scouter? We've been trying to reach you. Frieza is coming to the planet for a _political visit_ in two days."


	15. Chapter 15 Crashing Downhill

**I haven't forgotten about you my lovely readers. I've just been stuck in school work hell. We got this nasty project to do this term that's driving me crazy and stealing all my free time. It's almost done though so yay me.**

**To make up for it, an extra-long roller coaster ride chapter. Sorry guys but it had to be done. I hate myself. **

Chapter 15

Frieza. Goody.

"Prince Tarble, you need to go now. Prince Vegeta has ordered that Low Class Sayian Kakarot goes with you." A palace guard informed the younger Prince with a straight face, indicating that he'd done this many times before.

"What?! No way! I want to stay." Kakarot yelled.

"Orders are orders kid." The guard shrugged.

"I have not forgotten about Cui Kakarot." Prince Vegeta's voice floated towards them from a shadowy doorway, "And Frieza most certainly hasn't forgotten about you."

Kakarot pouted and mumbled to the floor, his face going red, "I wasn't planning on doing anything to Cui."

Prince Vegeta phased out of sight only to reappear with Kakarot pressed against the wall. He forced Kakarot to look directly at him and smirked.

"Don't lie to me." The Prince breathed.

Kakarot considered the statement for a moment before smiling mischievously, "I guess you know me too well."

Prince Vegeta let Kakarot drop back to his feet. The younger Sayian was wearing the standard third class armour as was Prince Tarble. It was for their own protection. They had to blend in and to do that they had to be in plain sight. Prince Tarble's power was that of an average third class warrior anyway. It was Kakarot that was going to have the hardest task. His power was always naturally low. He now had to concentrate on maintaining a power that was almost equal to Prince Tarble's. This plan had confused the other Sayians but none had questioned the Prince.

The problem was that Kakarot's power at any moment could drop or rise dramatically. Now it was normal for a being to have moving Ki readings but not more than about five to ten digits either way. Drastic changes only happened in drastic situations and since Kakarot was not supposed to be in any they had to be careful.

Frieza's scouters were so much more sensitive than the ones the Sayians wore. Prince Vegeta's mind was racing with every possibility that could happen during the course of this visit. How long was Frieza going to stay? He didn't have time to be the arrogant heir to the Sayian Empire today. No, today he was far too concerned with doing everything correctly so that the Lizard would just leave. He was too close to his goal to have it ripped away from him.

"Get going." Prince Vegeta said quietly and Kakarot bowed before grabbing Prince Tarble's hand and flying out the window.

Prince Vegeta knew that his power was dramatically different from Frieza's last visit. He had to concentrate on keeping it lower, but not as low as it had been during Frieza's last visit. Frieza had become used to the tiny spikes in his power. For him to suddenly remain the same would generate more suspicion.

Prince Vegeta signalled one of the Elite Guards and the Sayian hurried over to him. He hated having to do this to Kakarot, no wait, he didn't. In fact he was rather gleeful about it.

"Follow them but don't make it obvious that you are. You'll have to change your armour, stick to Elite. Should Kakarot's power rise too far up or drop suddenly too far down you are to hit him hard enough to knock him out. Then you will take him to my quarters under the pretence of taking him for punishment. My brother, Prince Tarble is not be left alone either but he is not to be harmed. Understood!"

"Yes Prince. I shall see to it." The Guard replied.

She was actually one of the Guards that the Prince didn't despise. She kept her opinions to herself and that was what made the Prince keep her around. Many of the palace guards had been killed by him at one point or another so he didn't actually take the time to know their names. Even if he liked this one to some extent, he still hadn't taken the time to learn her name.

He also realised that most races did not see women as adequate warriors. Sayians did not have this problem. He heard tales of men hitting their mates in anger. On Planet Vegeta a male dared not raise a fist to his woman for fear or being beaten right back. Perhaps fear was not the right word. Maybe pointlessness fit it better. It was pointless. All Sayians thrived on fighting so starting one would be no different from any other day. This only worked in relationships were the mating couple were equal, which most were. There were the exceptions of greatly outmatched power levels. He supposed that the best way to irritate a Sayian was not to feed them and then directly after that was to _not_ fight with them.

He shook his head violently to dislodge the uncharacteristic thoughts. He scowled as he walked, noticing the guards stand up a little straighter as though this might save them from his reputed wrath. Hn. They were all idiots but like he'd stated earlier. Today was about making it through the visit without Kakarot being discovered, nor his true power level. Today was about survival.

* * *

><p>The King stood with rigid tension. That was the only sign he gave that this was going to be a terrible day. Hell this could end up being a terrible week. Who knew when that Lizard Freak would leave? They could only hope that he would grow bored very quickly and preferably leave. He could grow bored and start killing Sayians.<p>

Frieza's ship had signalled an hour ago that it was nearing atmosphere. That meant it was going to land any minute now. The entire flagship would still be up in space of course but Frieza himself would unfortunately come here. Too bad he couldn't just invest in video conferencing.

Frieza's ship barely made a sound as it lowered towards the ground. King Vegeta grit his teeth, mentally cursing his son for not yet being there. He braced himself before schooling his features into something passable, something in hopes of being welcoming.

Prince Vegeta casually strode over to his father, his face completely blank instead of the usual smirk or scowl. He glanced at his father's forced expression of politeness. His only response was a scoff of amusement earning himself a glare.

"You've been here for a while." Prince Vegeta commented.

"It was the only way to be certain that I was here when he arrived." King Vegeta muttered back.

"For you maybe." Prince Vegeta replied before turning to face the soldiers that were creating a line towards them. Frieza did like to be dramatic. The Lizard himself came floating out of the ship he had brought with him from his flagship up in space.

Prince Vegeta swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat with a slight wince. He could see Zarbon and Didoria, ever present at Frieza's back. Artemus only knew how much he hated those two bufoons. Beach ball Didoria and pretty boy freak Zarbon, his _playmates_ since childhood.

When Frieza was close enough he bowed low, careful to make sure that his expression of mockery could not be seen by any of Frieza's men. He hated this the most, the humiliation of having to bow so low. To having to bow down to anyone at all. Just you wait Frieza. I'm going to destroy you.

When he straightened he saw the disappearing flash of numbers on Zarbon's scouter. He smirked at the teal green atrocity. Check all you want freak, you're never going to learn of my true power level until the day I kill you. The thought was cheerful enough to make the acting that much more bearable.

"Vegeta! How wonderful it is to see you again. It's been far too long my Monkey King, wouldn't you say?" Frieza greeted in that falsely polite tone of his.

Not long enough! Prince Vegeta couldn't help but respond in his mind rather than be the obedient puppet Frieza so wanted him to be. He was just grateful that the freak was addressing his father rather than himself.

Prince Vegeta barely heard the replies his father grumbled out. All his mind could think of was how false his father sounded, how pathetic he was. He forced himself not to glance at the floor in disgust and shame. It was the same every time Frieza came. The more they licked his white ass, the happier the freak was. He just had to get through this visit without any Kakarot related problems.

He growled in frustration when he realised that he was starting to sound like a stuck record. Good thing Frieza was too busy insulting his father to notice the sound. Please just be here for one day. He couldn't handle anything more.

His cape whipped to the side as he spun sharply on his heel. Frieza had begun to move on and into the palace. As he walked Sayians were forced to bow low to the ground, every one of them with a scowl of disgust masked into politeness.

"Heh heh heh. I do love how well you've trained your monkeys, Vegeta. It's most amusing. I was under the impression that they couldn't be taught anything." Frieza commented much to the amusement of his men and the Prince's rage. He couldn't react though. He had to keep his cool.

"You're awfully quiet today _Prince_ Vegeta." Zarbon commented thoughtfully, with silent mockery on the title.

"So, what's your point?" Prince Vegeta snapped back, deciding that he needed to stay somewhat in character.

"Touché. You really do need to learn how to control that temper of yours Prince." Zarbon replied.

"Hn. Not where you're concerned." Prince Vegeta muttered under his breath, out loud he added, "I'm not even mad yet, what are you? Scared, Zarbon."

Zarbon did not reply and the Prince smirked. It drooped when he noticed that Frieza's attention was on him, even if it was just a sideways glance.

"So, Prince Vegeta, oh before I forget this having the same name this is rather tiresome, anyways whatever happened to that low class runt from the tournament?" Frieza asked drily.

"I killed him." Prince Vegeta replied simply, without hesitation.

"So ungrateful about the life around him." Frieza muttered, yet the Prince felt this statement was the ultimate irony.

They had reached the throne room and the doors opened with a hiss. All Sayians inside the room stood and bowed low, an arm across their chest. It was to respect both the King and Frieza. Frieza's floating behemoth continued going till it was right in front of the throne. He loved this, playing King for the time he was there. All they had to do was endure and pray that they wouldn't fall victim to a surprise attack.

The worst was the fact that Prince Vegeta couldn't leave. Not unless he had a good enough excuse. At the current moment Frieza was having a blast insulting his father, so he didn't really pay much attention to the raging Prince but he would do so eventually. However, that could be hours from now to mere minutes.

So the Prince endured. He endured the snickers and the insults. He endured the mocking glances and bows of supposed respect. He ignored it each time his title or his name was sneered in disgust. He endured the humiliation and the shame. All this he endured because one day he would be smashing his fist into their fat ugly faces, one day he would kill them all and it would be he, Prince Vegeta, that had the last laugh. So yes you moron, laugh while can but just remember, you should have killed me when you had the chance.

* * *

><p>The Sayian rushed into the room with his head bowed low so that his eyes did not met those around him. This was not done out of respect, not out of humble shame, but rather to hide the glare and malice within them.<p>

Prince Vegeta found this amusing, the most amusing thing he'd seen all day. He'd been standing slightly behind his father for the better part of two days, Frieza seeming not to have noticed the fading sun nor the dull light as the palace was lit artificially. He knew that Frieza was not oblivious to the passing hours since had been graced with enough luck to be allowed to eat. Still, two fricken days! So a flustered Sayian was hilarious.

Prince Vegeta was very surprised when the Sayian hurried over to him and whispered something in his ear. Perfect! This was his chance to get out of here, even if the matter was traditionally dealt with by the King. No matter, his father could rot here for all he cared. He was so out of there.

"Pardon me, Lord Frieza, but there is a matter that requires my urgent attention." Prince Vegeta said with a bow. He felt his joints pop at the sudden movement and winced mentally.

"Oh, and I'm sure you'll tell me all about it when you return, right Prince." Frieza dismissed as well as commanded. Prince Vegeta did not miss the order to return as soon as he was done, even if it hadn't been said directly.

He hurried from the room, careful not to look too eager all the while remaining hasty.

Once clear of the room he shot out of a window, flying directly to the busiest part of the Sayian city. Now that he was free from the ever watchful gaze of Frieza his anger and frustration exploded full force. He outstripped the messenger Sayian easily in speed, not needing his guidance to find the source of the commotion as he could sense it. With one straight death plummet of a dive, the Prince made an impressive entrance, flipping at the last second and landing in an intense crouch. The rowdy crowd immediately stopped their roars and shouts, creating a blanketing silence. His eyes were dark and brooding as he stared at the floor, slowly lifting his head as his very presence intimidated the people around him.

"Kakarot!"

The bundle in front of his did not stir but it did flinch.

"You have no idea how much I needed a break." Prince Vegeta sighed out with relief as he sank to the floor, his knees searing in protest.

The bundle that was in fact a curled up Sayian twitched before moving to look up at the Prince. Kakarot's large eyes blinked with innocent surprise. Prince Vegeta's relaxed expression turned to a scowl as he took note of his brother also lying in a curled ball, only Kakarot had been shielding him.

"Why are there reports of this reaching the palace?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"Well we didn't know that we were going to cause this much ruckus." Kakarot argued.

"What exactly did you do?" Prince Vegeta asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Uhm well do you remember that fight we had not so long ago?" Kakarot said with a nervous chuckle while scratching the back of his head.

Prince Vegeta just raised an eyebrow so Kakarot continued, "Apparently they do too. They all wanted to fight me to prove that they were stronger."

"I see." Prince Vegeta said before standing. He surveyed the group of silent Sayians around him and he saw that they all knew that this wasn't going to end well for them. That annoying little thing that only Kakarot could cause happened again and that irrational rage took over. With a yell of anger he unleashed a wave of energy that sent all the Sayians around him crashing into the surrounding buildings.

"Kakarot is mine to destroy, understood!" The Prince snapped before adding in a bland tone "Now is that the best you idiots have because if so then I have the unfortunate pleasure of returning to the palace."

No one stepped forward, few could and they knew what the Prince was capable of and it was enough to scare even them out of their stupidity when it came to fighting. He glanced over at Kakarot, seeing that he was fine apart from a few scratches and bruises. His brother appeared shaken but fine as well. The Prince shook his head before spotting the guard he had sent to follow Kakarot. He walked towards her, taking note of her displeased expression.

"You know what to do." He said casually before taking off into the air once more and heading back to the palace. The closer he got, the deeper his frown became. He sensed that everyone had moved to the dining area. Well at least that meant food.

The closer he got to the palace the more frequent Frieza's soldiers became. He dodged around a few and shot through a window, halting his momentum to land on the floor softly.

He took his time walking to Frieza. He wasn't in a hurry to be interrogated.

All activity in the food paused at his entrance. Perhaps they had not been expecting him back yet, after all none of them knew the nature of his departure. He was forced to bow once again to Frieza, his only vice was the thought that one day he was going to kill the Lizard.

"My Lord, all matters have been attended to." Prince Vegeta reported blandly, like he'd said this a thousand times before, heard it said a thousand times more.

"Really? Do tell me Prince, I have been waiting on the edge of my seat, what was the problem that needed to be so urgently attended to?" Frieza replied with that self-satisfied smirk on his face.

I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him . . . "There was a Sayian boasting of his strength in the central part of the city. Naturally a riot started in response as all the other Sayians wished to prove their strength over the Sayian. None of the other Sayians could disperse the crowd, and apparently none wanted to." Prince Vegeta replied, truthful apart from the part where Kakarot was not actually boasting.

"I see, and it takes the Prince of all Sayians to disperse of a measly crowd of monkeys. Tell me Vegeta, what of your second son, why does he not take care of the trivial matters of state?" Frieza asked casually and by the way the question was asked, Prince Vegeta knew that it was directed at his father.

He saw his father freeze for a mere second before he regained his composure and turned to face Frieza, his mind racing for an answer, "Well, my second son is somewhat of a Sayian anomaly." he replied with a cough.

"How so?" Zarbon asked when it appeared that Frieza was not going to say anything more.

"Hmmmm, Zarbon, that's an interesting question. I believe the story is something along the lines of the Sayian brat being a disappointment. That might be the reason why I have yet to meet the little monkey." Frieza mused, swirling that infuriating glass of wine. Didn't he ever get drunk? Or was the thing purely for show.

"Is it my Lord's wishes to meet with the Second Prince of the house of Vegeta?" King Vegeta asked and Prince Vegeta could hear the hope in his voice for the decline, the cringe at the inevitable yes.

"Oh I thought you'd never ask, Vegeta dear." Frieza said happily with a self-satisfied smile.

Prince Vegeta felt his heart stutter. Not Tarble. His mind was momentarily frozen as he tried to take in the implications of this little meeting. Too many, there were just too many possibilities. He registered that Frieza was trying to organise someone to get Tarble and his brain finally started to work again.

"I'll get him." Prince Vegeta said hoarsely. He was still standing near the doorway, having not yet sat.

Frieza looked up at him and then smiled once more, it was a cold harsh smile that promised many unpleasant things, while his eyes showed only the power to make those promises happen. For the first time in his life, Prince Vegeta realised just how far he had to go, just how vast a distance he had to leap in order to kill Frieza. This realisation seemed to have removed some sort of barrier within his mind and he could feel every aspect of Frieza's power. It was unimaginably stretched out . . . masked . . . warped so the true extent might never be known. It was like he could see it, Frieza's power stretching to the ends on the universe while his was just a tiny dull twinkle in comparison.

"Wonderful. Do hurry now." Frieza's coldly polite tone intruded on his shocked sense and the image in his mind wavered before dissolving with the pop of reality sweeping back in.

He walked out the room, hurrying over to his own room where he had ordered the two younger Sayians be taken. He had been shielding his brother from Frieza for years but he could no longer do that. Tarble had to stay strong and survive this. He had to remain calm and not step in, he couldn't. He was forced to watch as Frieza amused himself with a Prince of Planet Vegeta, worse yet, an innocent one.

Kakarot stepped backwards as the previously locked door hissed open. He had sensed the Prince but he had also detected a weird buzz to his energy, like he was in a daze or something. When the Prince entered Kakarot saw that even his expression, usually so cold and aloof was distant, far beyond Kakarot's reach.

"Tarble, Frieza wants to see you." Prince Vegeta breathed as though saying the words as a new idea to him, fitting them together to see how they would sound.

Apparently they didn't fit well together because that distant look vanished, replaced by the usual determination.

"Tarble, listen to me." Prince Vegeta started, crouching down so that he was eye level with his brother, "I need you to be strong now. I need you to the most Sayian you possibly can. Can you do that for me?"

Kakarot knew what Prince Vegeta was asking for. He was asking for Prince Tarble to not cry out or show fear, to not beg or plead for a mercy that would never come. He was asking Prince Tarble to stand tall against humiliation and pain. He was asking his brother to be a Sayian Prince.

Prince Tarble looked at his brother with a determination that shone in his usually dull eyes. He nodded his head once, his mouth set. Prince Vegeta looked at his brother a moment more, a silent sadness cloaking him before he stood and smirked, his mask back in place. For just a moment he'd been the concerned brother, angry that he was failing in protecting that whom he loved more than anyone else in the universe.

With a squeeze to Prince Tarble's shoulder that concerned brother vanished, only to be replaced by the Prince of Sayians. He walked out the door, giving a look to Kakarot over his shoulder that clearly communicated stay. Prince Tarble set his features to match the royal look of determined indifference and followed his brother. Kakarot's stomach sank, but he wasn't sure why.

* * *

><p>"I was starting to think you'd gotten lost Vegeta." Frieza said softly, his eyes on the wine glass in his hands.<p>

Prince Vegeta chose not to reply to the comment, choosing instead to step aside so that Prince Tarble may be more visible. Frieza looked up slowly, his features blank as he studied the younger Prince.

Prince Tarble knew what to do since his brother had given him a precise but quick instruction as to what was expected of him. He bowed low, with a short "My Lord."

"Come closer. I feel like we're not getting along if you stand so far away." Frieza commented.

Prince Tarble did not hesitate and walked forwards, stopping just out of Frieza's reach. He hid his fear well but Frieza was a master at deducing and inducing fear in others. He could see the slight perspiration on the younger Prince's skin, the tiny twitches of his hands and tail that he could not control. He smiled at the boy, enjoying the tiny intake of breath.

"How old are you now boy?"

"Twelve." Prince Tarble replied, clearly and once again without hesitation.

"That's twelve, my Lord. I'll let it slip this time but you must not forget it again." Frieza reprimanded, "Now then. It seems we have twelve years to make up for."

Prince Vegeta wanted to close his eyes, he wanted to run away. He wanted to help his bother. He wanted the near impossible. He wanted to not be here.

He couldn't stop the wince when he heard the first crack and muffled scream. He blinked rapidly, settling his gaze on the opposite wall, trying so very hard to not be there even though he was forced to be.

* * *

><p>Hours later the door hissed open and Kakarot sprang up. He hadn't moved from a spot on the floor ever since Prince Vegeta had come for Prince Tarble. His heart was pounding painfully loudly as he watched his Prince slowly half drag himself half walk into the room. He was covered in blood, not all of it his own and his eyes were shrouded in a shadow.<p>

. . . but even if Kakarot had been able to see them, he wouldn't have seen them at all. They were dull, nearly lifeless. All the fiery spark lacking.

The Prince faltered in a wary step and started to fall. Kakarot rushed forwards and caught him. "So much pain. . ." The Prince whispered but Kakarot did not know to whom he was referring to. Where was Prince Tarble?

Prince Vegeta suddenly jerked with a new energy he really did not have and pushed Kakarot away angrily. He stumbled into the room and made his way to the bathroom, switching on the taps to the large bath.

He stood there then, just taking in the scene of the water filling into the hole. He didn't say anything, didn't even acknowledge Kakarot's presence.

"Prince Vegeta?" Kakarot asked carefully, softly.

"Tarble . . . lives if that is what you wonder." Prince Vegeta replied tonelessly.

Kakarot knew not the specifics of what had happened but he'd been able to sense what had been more or less going on. Frieza had been beating Prince Tarble, stripping him to within an inch of his life, a point so low that his energy could not be sensed from the distance that he was. Prince Vegeta had at one point snapped and interfered earning himself a server beating as well. But what were the specifics?

Prince Vegeta slipped into the bath, armour and all. The water immediately stained pink. He simply sat against the wall, not moving, not making an effort to remove his clothes or the blood.

Kakarot was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. All he did know was that Prince Vegeta was hurting in so many more ways than just physically. So he hesitated only a second before climbing into the bath himself and started to remove the Prince's broken and bloody armour, piece by piece. It wasn't hard as the material was so internally destroyed that it practically crumbled.

He left the blue under clothes on, deciding that the most important part was off. He then took the Prince's face in his hands and forced the blank eyes to look at his own wide ones.

"You listen to me and you listen good." Kakarot said firmly relieved to see a tiny spark, "I don't care how much we have to train or how much more powerful he is. We are going to kill him if and that's final. There is no question about it. He will die by the hands of a Sayian."

Awareness flickered only as long as Kakarot had spoken but then it was gone again. Prince Vegeta might have been looking at him but he was also looking straight through him. "I just want to be alone right now. You can stay in the bedroom. Don't leave it but I just want to be alone right now." Prince Vegeta said hoarsely.

Kakarot nodded and got out of the bath, water cascading down his own armour and falling back into the steaming water or to the floor.

He looked back only once, just before leaving the dimly lit bathroom. Then he went and sat down just next to the door. If someone were to enter he wanted to be the first to know and from his position he had the slight surprise advantage. Now, he waited.

* * *

><p>Kakarot did not know when but somewhere in his waiting and sitting guard he had fallen asleep. The first thing he noticed was that he was really warm and the next was that he was lying on the bed. Most of the warmth radiated from behind him so he shifted slightly to see the Prince still asleep. Kakarot didn't want to move in case he woke him up. He realised that the Prince's arm was draped over him, gently holding him closer.<p>

What did that mean? Kakarot's confusion only grew when the Prince stirred and snuggled closer. He probably needed some comfort after Frieza Kakarot reasoned. He sighed sleepily and fell back into a state of drowsiness.

Both of them tensed and the Prince's arm tightened when they sensed a power level coming towards the room. Prince Vegeta was immediately alert. He moved quickly shoving Kakarot just under the blankets so that whoever walked in would not see him for who he was and rather just assume he was a female Sayian.

"Keep quiet." Prince Vegeta hissed before pretending to be asleep again.

The door hissed open and the sound of a cap flapping reached Kakarot but he could not see who it was. "Still sleeping monkey Prince?" a heavily accented voice asked smoothly.

"No Zarbon, I was just hoping that if I ignored you, you'd go away." Prince Vegeta replied opening his eyes.

Zarbon smiled before leaning against one of the bed posts. His eyes travelled over the lump that was Kakarot and his smile grew. "Am I keeping you from something?"

Prince Vegeta scowled at him. He did not deem that remark important enough to reply to. "Clearly Lord Frieza didn't do enough damage if you we still able to crawl into the arms of a beloved. Tell me Prince, will there be news of an heir soon?" Zarbon continued despite the cold shoulder he was receiving.

"What do you want?" Prince Vegeta hissed.

"Careful young Prince. The lower ranks of Lord Frieza's whisper of a great many things and an even greater many things reach my ears. The whisper of the Sayians an awful lot you know. Some very interesting things were learned, things which were not told to Lord Frieza." Zarbon said casually, walking closer to the Prince who shifted away from him and closer to Kakarot.

"What are you trying to hide?" Zarbon whispered leaning in closer still. There were several meaning in that simple sentence. What was he trying to hide this moment, what was he trying to hide to everyone, what was he trying to hide from Lord Frieza? The list did not stop there but the rest were unimportant.

"What. Do. You. Want." Prince Vegeta demanded through clenched teeth.

"Lord Frieza wished to know if you would be seeing him off. I merely volunteered to see if you were still alive. It would be such a shame if you'd passed on in your sleep. That would mean I'd lose the pleasure of killing you myself." Zarbon chuckled before pulling away, "For the moment though, we aren't allowed to kill you Sayians. Lord Frieza is just absolutely fascinated with you lot, especially our young Prince. His favourite was when you tried to protect your pathetic monkey brother from a threat you yourself could never hope to destroy."

"Fine, message delivered now get out. As you pointed out earlier I was busy." Prince Vegeta snapped with a trademark glare.

"Lady friend shy?" Zarbon asked with a raised brow but moving to the door nonetheless.

The door started to close and Kakarot moved to get out from under the covers but Prince Vegeta moved faster. He slammed an arm across Kakarot's chest to stop him from moving before he swung himself over and onto Kakarot. Kakarot's eyes widened before Prince Vegeta leaned closer. He stopped a mere inch or two away, studying Kakarot's features with half closed eyes. Both of their breathing was ragged and both their hearts were racing. Kakarot opened his mouth to say something but Prince Vegeta pressed his lips to Kakarot's cutting off whatever it was going to be.

Kakarot didn't respond at first, his eyes wide with surprise. His hand moved to the Prince's chest, whether to push him away or to pull him closer he wasn't sure. The Prince growled before snatching the hand and pressing it into the mattress above them.

That growl sent a ripple of vibration through Kakarot from their joined lips and his body took over from where his brain had ceased to function. He moved against the Prince, from fighting his lips to fighting his hold. He wasn't trying to get away, he was fighting for dominance in a war he'd never been in before, never even thought about. The Prince's lips were smooth, warm and soft. So unlike the persona he portrayed to the others. Were all his lovers as surprised? Their tongues had yet to join this war but Kakarot was not in any hurry to initiate their meeting.

Prince Vegeta broke away, panting as he watched Kakarot's mixed emotions play across his face. He grimaced and arched, probably trying to fight an erection.

"Sorry, but I think he's gone now." Prince Vegeta whispered hoarsely.

"Zarbon was checking wasn't he?" Kakarot asked breathlessly.

"Yes. He suspects something, maybe about you I don't know." Prince Vegeta replied letting go of Kakarot's wrist, amused to see that the other hand had fisted in the sheets.

"You could have pretended to kiss me or something." Kakarot grumbled, his body starting to relax.

"Why? Does it bother you?" Prince Vegeta asked huskily, leaning closer again. He licked a line from Kakarot's chest to his chin enjoying how it made the smaller Sayian shudder. Kakarot gasped when he bit down gently on the heated flesh. He soothed the mark with his tongue loving that tiny moan that escaped Kakarot's lips.

He pulled away then, laughing. He studied Kakarot a moment more before he left the bed and went to the bathroom once again. When he returned he was wearing fresh armour. He adjusted the white glove on his hand swiftly before looking at Kakarot.

"Don't do anything stupid." Kakarot whispered and Prince Vegeta smirked before walking to the door.

* * *

><p>Frieza was finally gone. Prince Vegeta's features were a hard scowl of pent up anger and frustration. Humiliation was at the forefront of his thoughts while Prince Tarble was just behind that. His brother was still not well.<p>

He walked away from the landing bay. He'd been there long after the ship's trajectory had faded from the sky. Still he'd wanted to make sure the stupid Lizard was really gone and this wasn't all just some elaborate hoax.

He went directly to the medical bay. He heard the whispers as he walked, the doubt. He knew that they Sayians were questioning whether he was really to be their saviour. He grit his teeth and ignored it as best he could. After all he was stronger than them. He could kill them, but the real control Kakarot had told him was in not killing them.

"How much longer?" he barked upon entering.

"Still a few days my Prince."

Prince Vegeta closed his eyes in silent pain. His own injuries from Frieza still throbbed but he ignored them. He walked over to his brother's tank, crossing his arms over his chest as he observed the being inside. He hated seeing his brother in there. It was he that should have been in there, not Tarble.

"Take him out." Came the sharp deep order.

"My King, he is not yet ready."

"I don't care." Prince Vegeta looked to the doorway to see his father. His eyes were wide as we watched the coldness on his father's face. A coldness that had been lacking for years. This was the man that had led the Sayians to victory. This was the Sayian that was King. Where had he been for the past few years.

Prince Vegeta watched silently as his brother was pulled from the tank, still broken and beaten. He watched silently as he was dried and dressed. He remained silent right up till the moment when Zorn picked up the unconscious boy. His expression on of silent sadness, but determined all the same.

"What are you going to do to him?" Prince Vegeta asked, turning to his father and remembering at the same time all the times his father had ordered he be taken from the rejuvenation tanks so that he may learn what pain really was.

"Send him away." King Vegeta answered gruffly.

For a moment Prince Vegeta was back in that dazed state of dulled awareness. Then his senses caught up and his anger rose. "What!"

"You may be a lot of things _son_, but you are not King yet." And just like that all his opinions didn't matter, all his choices were useless.

"WHY!" Prince Vegeta found himself yelling despite what his pride told him to do. He was running after his father who had walked after Zorn.

"You do not have the power to question my decisions, Vegeta! I do not have to explain anything to you. You're a spoilt brat who has just disgraced the entire Sayian Empire for a boy." The King roared getting angry himself.

"He's my bother." Prince Vegeta yelled back, "What did you expect me to do, stand and watch while Frieza killed him!"

Prince Vegeta went to shove past his father and to go and get Tarble, to bring him to where he was safe. The King struck him hard. The Prince was so surprised he fell backwards. He stared at his father in shock. It had been years since his father had last struck him. In his surprise he was yanked to his feet by palace guards and pulled away from his father. Something cool was placed around his wrist before he was able to get over his shock. He tried to yank himself away from the guards but . . . . . he could not.

"Let me go!" he screamed pulling with as much strength as he could but he realised to his horror that his strength was draining. He was losing control of his Ki. "You can't do this to me! What have you done?! Father!" Prince Vegeta screamed and screamed till his voice was hoarse to a Sayian who was no longer listening.  
>"NOOOOOOO!"<p>

**I'm so bad. I hate myself. BUT you'll be cheered to know that I've already begun work on the next chapter. Things are really going to pick up now pace wise, but it has to get worse before it get's better. Sorry about that. Poor Prince Vegeta. Things aren't getting any easier for him. **

**Oh Gosh I feel so awful but it had to happen my dear readers. After all as we all know Vegeta needs a really big push to become a super Sayian and it's going to take a lot. That's not the only reason I had to send Tarble away, I have others and trust me they're all with good intentions. Still . . . I hate myself. Ohkay I'm going to go crawl into a corner and curl into a ball of self-hating misery. **


	16. Chapter 16 Confessions from the damned

**Some of the readers were confused about the ages for the previous chapter. Kakarot was 14. Prince Vegeta is five years older than Kakarot, so he would have been 19. Tarble was 12 approaching his 13th birthday. **

**I hope this chapter isn't too confusing. Uhm I dunno, this chapter is a bit of a wild one. **

**Thanks to Candyassgoth. She beta'ed this chapter for me. You should go check out her stories, they're really interesting and fun to read. ****And to make it fair I asked for a second opinion from gothpandaotaku. Thank you plenty much from you both. (Yes I know that's not grammically correct but it's something I've been saying since I learned to walk. XD)**

Chapter 16.

Prince Vegeta looked at the blood red sky. So close yet so far away. He wondered if he would be able to just take off and fly to the other end of the planet. Would the guards try to stop him?

"Kakarot, I have an idea." Prince Vegeta started.

"Let me guess, you want to try out some new fighting manoeuvres." The sixteen year old drawled.

It had been two years since the King had sent Prince Tarble away and in those two years a lot had happened. The most noticeable was that Kakarot wasn't as innocent as he had once been. In fact he was downright painful. He never laughed, he sure as heck didn't mention anything he used to speak endlessly about, he never even smiled. He hadn't even commented on how much he missed his father, if he even missed him at all. It hadn't always been like that. It had been a sudden but gradual thing. He had almost grown to be the very epitome of Sayian-ness, no longer staring at the world with that wide eyed innocence.

At first, he had stopped showing concern and friendliness. It had been small little things, things that the Prince hadn't even noticed before Kakarot had stopped doing them, like stopping to let someone have the right of way, holding back on his punches so that they hurt less, even eating at a somewhat civilised pace. Now he did as he pleased, not caring whose feelings he hurt, not that he hurt many as it was the Sayian palace after all. For the past two years Kakarot had slowly become more and more like his father for lack of a better comparison. The only difference was that Kakarot had no crew to care for. Prince Vegeta didn't know what his problem was, or even where it had started since it had started so small. If he had to guess it was probably after Tarble left.

Prince Vegeta, now twenty-one, still hadn't forgiven his father for the two week imprisonment. What the old fool had been trying to achieve was beyond him but whatever it had been, he'd regret it till the day he died. It had taken Kakarot two weeks to find him due to the Ki draining bracelet on his wrist. When he finally managed to break in and destroy the blasted thing, Prince Vegeta had fallen into a blind rage. He'd blasted at anything that moved or even hadn't. It had easily been the darkest day in Sayian history, one that the King was not easily forgiven for by the Sayian race. Cities were levelled in mere seconds by single blasts. Crops had been disintegrated, creating a food shortage the following year as well as scorching the ground to an extent that it became useless for farming.

He could still remember coming out of the blind rage, coming back to his senses covered in dust, rubble and even blood. There were scorch marks on his armour from those that had been brave enough to try and kill him but he hadn't even felt the blasts. He'd come out of the rage seeing nothing but open sky where entire buildings had once stood. It was Kakarot that had done it . . .

_The Sayians were running for cover. His laughter at the fruitlessness of this task was hoarse, maniacal. Sayians tried to shoot him down, tried to counter his own blasts but it was useless. He was just so much stronger than them, so out of control. Chaos reigned supreme as shouts or rage and fear filled the air. Destruction and rubble surrounded the Prince, as did the bodies of the dead. There weren't many, but still they were there. Lifeless and grimacing in fear of their Prince. An odd thing for a Sayian._

"_Prince Vegeta! You have to stop this. I don't want to hurt you!" The Prince only laughed more at Kakarot's pain filled words. Kakarot dodged a blast and then had to jump out of the way of a falling building. He grit his teeth before making up his mind. It was the only way without hurting the Prince. _

_He ran at the Prince, dodging Sayians, blasts and falling buildings. He jumped up and delivered a spinning kick to the Prince's head, dazing him long enough for Kakarot to grab the side of his face and kiss him. _

_A simple peck was all it took to shock him out of the murderous rampage. Kakarot pulled away, glad that everyone was too busy to notice what he had done. Prince Vegeta fell to his knees as the magnitude of what he had done sunk in. For the first time in his life, he cried in front of his people._

"How did you ever guess." Prince Vegeta said in the same drawling tone to mock Kakarot, shaking away the memory. Ever since the incident, Kakarot had been ordered to be at the Prince's side at all time because everyone believe that he was the only one who had the Ki necessary to stop the Prince should he ever lose it again.

Ever since Frieza's visit, the Prince had lost the respect of his people and the privileges of being the Prince. He was a prisoner in his own palace, not allowed to leave. Was his father afraid that he'd lose it again or was his father only putting on these restrictions to please the masses? Was he afraid that he'd go after Tarble? He didn't even know where Tarble was or what had even happened to him. No one knew what the King wanted, least of all the Prince since he was banned from the King's presence.

He wanted to know why the sudden change. He wanted to know what his father was thinking, what he hoped to gain but it was useless. He was only Prince now because he was too strong to take his title away. A brat Prince that no one will bow down to. It mad his blood boil but he refrained from getting angry. The last time he did that, well the consequences were disastrous. For the last two years, he'd done nothing but restrain his anger, trying not to become the monster he had been. He would never admit it but his actions had shamed him. He never wanted to lose control like that ever again.

"Anyways, I want to go off world." Prince Vegeta continued making Kakarot pause in his actions.

Kakarot was stretched out on the edge of the balcony. On his armoured chest rested a pot plant. It was of some importance to him. Prince Vegeta recalled from an earlier conversation, the day after his rampage to be precise.

"_You cared about him didn't you, you cared a lot more than you allowed yourself to admit." Kakarot whispered staring at a plant while standing on a balcony that he had used to sit on with Prince Tarble. _

"_I care for him the same way you persist in caring for that no good third class fool of a brother of yours. It's instinctual and I for one never saw the reason for hating my brother just because he never wanted to fight. He did want to fight, I remember that he did but when I received all the attention and assistance in my training he stopped because his progression made no difference to anyone. He is the one thing in this palace that makes me fight anymore. All the rest, well you've seen them. Now, he's gone and it's all my fault." _

"_No. It's Frieza's and when you start forgetting that, he's already won. . . . ._

"We're not allowed off world." Kakarot replied.

"We're going to sneak off stupid. You want to tell me you haven't thought about it." Prince Vegeta replied flicking his forehead just because he knew he hated it.

In the two years that they had been forced together, they'd grown to be very comfortable around each other, but the intimacy from before was gone. They both hadn't even realised it was there till it wasn't anymore.

"No I haven't. I'm too busy babysitting you." Kakarot grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"Come on, your brother and father go off world all the time." Prince Vegeta pouted.

Kakarot looked at him then and the Prince knew he had him. Just a little bit more and it was done. Kakarot had grown into a surprising specimen. His eyes were no longer so wide with his happy innocence. His expressions were no longer so cheerful. Was this because of his exposure to palace life? The cruelty of politics and the dangers that come with power could do that to the happiest creature in the universe. He no longer believed that everyone was good and simply punched anyone that annoyed him. Still he'd never killed a Sayian. Thinking about it now, he'd definitely started to change ever since Tarble had been sent away. In fact the more he thought about it the more he recalled the way that fire in Kakarot's eyes had slowly dimmed, before disappearing completely. His face had become less and less expression, remaining bored and blank most of the time. He was unreadable now apart from the subtle troubled look. Prince Vegeta only noticed that look because he spent so much time with the Sayian. Kakarot had become all he had, his first ever and only friend in a sea of backstabbers and liars.

Physically, his skin wasn't such a strange white anymore, having become more tanned under the red sky of Planet Vegeta. His power was greater than when he was younger, obviously but he was still just slightly behind the Prince. His armour was black and white while the Prince stuck to blue. He no longer had the armour of the Prince's property as that privilege had been removed. He just had the standard unmarked armour with the unique difference of no shoulder guards and extensions on the bottom. His body was muscular but slim so that he moved lightning fast. He was slightly smaller than the Prince, his features which had matured were still boyish. He looked more and more like his father, yet he had this haunted look on his face and the Prince couldn't figure out why and he'd been trying for two years.

"I thought we were supposed to be training." Kakarot huffed looking away.

"He cancelled it." The Prince replied bitterly. Even his training had been limited. He could no longer go where he wanted nor train as he pleased. Again, was this for the King's own protection or his peoples'. "Yet another reason to leave this planet."

"If you're so eager to leave why haven't you mentioned finding Tarble. He's out there somewhere you know." Kakarot asked in that same bored tone.

"I've already told you that the universe is a very big place. He could be anywhere." Prince Vegeta growled in reply.

"Whatever."

Prince Vegeta scowled at the lifelessness he was receiving from Kakarot. What was his problem today? In fact, he realised with shock, he missed the thirteen year old wonder Sayian. With an immature growl he kicked Kakarot, sending him over the edge of the balcony. Kakarot to his annoyance didn't even stop his fall. He let himself hit the ground, cracking it. The only thing Kakarot seemed worried about was his stupid plant.

He walked away from the sight with a huff. Things had to change. He was going to earn the respect of his people once more. He was going to make up for what he did. He was going to get away from the prison that had become his life and he was going to make sure that Kakarot was resurrected once more. Because that thing down there was not Kakarot. Somewhere in those two years, Kakarot had died and the Prince vowed to bring him back, if nothing more than to cure his boredom.

* * *

><p>"Kakarot. Wake up you fool." Prince Vegeta hissed while poking the sleeping Sayian.<p>

Kakarot groaned and turned over, giving the Prince an opportunity to strike. Ever since his father had passed the laws that were designed to specifically limit him his only source of amusement was Kakarot.

Prince Vegeta smirked evilly and climbed onto the bed. He leaned over Kakarot's sleeping form and ran his hand down the younger Sayian's back gently grasping his tail. He suppressed a laugh when he saw that this only made Kakarot shudder.

"Wake up Kakarot." Prince Vegeta whispered huskily while running Kakarot's tail through his fingers.

Kakarot's eyes sprang open and he shot up, straight into the Prince who lost his balance and fell forwards causing them both to fall back onto the bed. Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in shock when he realised that Kakarot was purring.

Kakarot mewled and rolled over to face the Prince. His smirk vanished and his eyes flashed with annoyance when he saw the Prince. The purr changed to a growl and Prince Vegeta took that as his cue to get off.

"We have an appointment so get dressed." Prince Vegeta said getting off the bed.

Kakarot eyed the Prince thoughtfully for a moment before shrugging and getting up. He knew that the appointment was probably something they weren't supposed to do but the Prince had made a valid point earlier. They were both very bored and sure as hell miserable.

"Keep your power low." Prince Vegeta warned before dropping out of the window.

Kakarot followed wondering just what the Prince was up to. They landed next to a river. It was midnight and the Prince wanted to go for a swim? Kakarot looked at the Prince, silently asking if he was serious. Prince Vegeta smirked and said "There's something cool in it. I found it the other day. I don't need you to go everywhere with me."

Kakarot raised a brow and the Prince gestured for him to go and look. Kakarot walked over to the river but saw nothing. It was too dark to see anything.

"You're going to have to bend down to see it." The Prince said and it sounded like he was silently laughing. Kakarot bent down to look but still he didn't see anything. "What am I looking for anyways?"

"Nothing." Prince Vegeta said before suddenly appearing behind Kakarot and plunging his head into the water. Kakarot immediately shot backwards, spluttering.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"Well for us to go unnoticed we can't look like we do now." The Prince replied before jumping at Kakarot again and pinning him down, "Now hold still while I attempt to change your hairstyle."

"Ow . . . hay, watch it . . . cut it out Prince . . . watch the little hairs . . . ouch! . . . OWWWW . . ."

"You whine like a little low class girl Kakarot." Prince Vegeta huffed letting Kakarot go and admiring his handiwork, "You look ravishing if I do say so myself." He added with a smirk.

Prince Vegeta then proceeded to re-style his own hair, taking more care that what he had with Kakarot. He studied his blurry reflection in the water with the help of a tiny ball of Ki before nodding with approval and shooting back into the sky. Kakarot followed, grumbling under his breath. He really was in a bad mood today wasn't he?

"Where are we going?" Kakarot asked.

"It's a surprise, just keep your power low." Prince Vegeta said impatiently flying slightly faster at the same time. Kakarot followed, feeling excited for the first time in ages. He'd almost forgotten how exuberating it could be, how nerve racking to.

Prince Vegeta led then into the outskirts of the city, the shadier side. Most Low Class warriors lived here but there were also the dishonoured and exiled Sayians of other class. They all liked to fight and not all liked to follow the rules.

Prince Vegeta landed on the ground, his figure a strange sight with the attempted to be tamed hair. It was a wild mess of black, more so than what was normal for Sayians. How long would it be like that?

"Do you remember what I asked you when you first woke up in the palace?" Prince Vegeta asked lowering to the ground.

Kakarot landed next to him and thought the question over for a moment of so before answering curtly, "Was that good for nothing bugging you?"

Prince Vegeta blinked at him before smirked and shaking his head, "Try the next one." Kakarot glanced at him sideways, starting to catch onto his idea, "Have I ever heard of fight club? I believe it was an adequate but unimaginative name." Kakarot said carefully but his eyes were shinning with excitement. He tried to conceal it though, not wanting to encourage the Prince even more. After all this would be considered against the rules for even a normal Sayian and not just the tightly bound Prince and by default Kakarot.

"Now, as I'm sure you've already figured out, we're going to get to experience it for ourselves. I've been before and it didn't present much of a challenge back then but back then I looked like the Prince and I commanded respect. Now I'm just a regular Sayian with a regular power level right Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta replied with an evil smirk.

"As long as no one dies." Kakarot conceded. They'd come this far they might as well see it through. Besides, it could be fun.

Prince Vegeta nodded, letting Kakarot know that he would honour the request. Traditionally, and this was the reason it was against the rules for normal Sayians was the fact that the fights were to the death. Prince Vegeta walked around a corner and went to a door that didn't conceal the activities inside the building very well. The guard stood and gave them both an up down scowl. Prince Vegeta and even Kakarot scowled right back.

"Hn, fine. I'll let you in if only to get rid of you. They fights are pretty nasty tonight."

"Good! Then at least I didn't come all this way for nothing." Prince Vegeta smirked back before entering the building. Cheers and yells filled the air, blending in with the smack of flesh against flesh and the snap of breaking bones. Several fights were happening at the same time and the energy in the room was practically cracking.

There was one rule, and that was no Ki attacks. Fighting for fighting's sake. That was what it was about. And it was exhilarating. Frieza and his soldiers would never understand this.

"There are maybe three elites here that will be worth the trip." Kakarot stated having already scanned through the power levels. He was better at it, his mind not as easily overwhelmed by the energy in the room like the Prince almost always was. Prince Vegeta was getting better at it though. "Only three? That's too bad." Prince Vegeta mock pouted.

"Three is better than what I'd expected. Sometimes having so much Ki is really boring." Kakarot replied with a grin. Prince Vegeta shook his head and walked further in, taking note of fighting style and flimsy disguises. His was better, of course it was. He thought of it after all. Sayians were most recognisable by their hair so that's all that really needed to be changed, if you could manage it. As it was he could feel the tiny prickles on his scalp reminding him that his hair could bounce back at any moment.

Kakarot grabbed his elbow, indicating that he should head towards a fight in the far right. He saw that most of the shouting was coming from that corner anyways and he felt his Sayian instincts perk up. His heart actually beat faster in excitement.

He jerked to the left to avoid being hit by the flying Sayian. A loud almost insane laughter followed when the flying Sayian smashed into the wall and slumped down, too dazed to probably even know where he was. Prince Vegeta looked to the laughing Sayian and noted that it was an elite. Should be fun.

The elite went to deliver the finishing blow but a Ki blast to the back stopped him. That corner of the room went quiet instantly and all attention turned to Kakarot.

"Hay, I wanted that one." Prince Vegeta complained.

"Snooze you lose." Kakarot replied sticking out his tongue.

Their playful banter was cut short by the sudden silence in the room. A silence so profound it made his ears ring, or was it the sudden absence of the rowdy sounds from before? Then again, wasn't that the same thing? Prince Vegeta could feel the back of his neck tingling and his stomach felt like it was rolling. He turned very slowly, already knowing what he would find. His scowl deepened when his suspicions were confirmed.

"What do you think you're doing here?" The King asked in a deathly low tone.

"Same thing as any of these other idiots." Prince Vegeta smirked, running a hand through his hair so that it would bounce back to the flame like shape, "How did you even know I was here?" he added with a frown.

When the King didn't reply Prince Vegeta shrugged and decided that he really didn't care. He just wanted to get away from the Sayian. It had been two years since he'd really seen his father. The Sayian looked old, not physically but it was his eyes. They looked like they'd aged years in the last two years, or had they always been that way and he'd just never noticed.

"Kakarot, I order you to take Prince Vegeta back to the palace." The King said just as the Prince reached the halfway point to the door. Prince Vegeta stopped to glare at his father before turning to see what Kakarot would do. Kakarot was leaning against one of the support beams of the building. Usually he listened to the King. This time he was looking down, his face thoughtful. As the Prince watched his hair slowly crept back into position and the sight was somewhat amusing. This had to have been his best idea in a while if not for the gate crashing part. Kakarot looked up then, his eyes flashing with some unknown anger, almost rage but that was so unlike Kakarot. Kakarot hadn't been himself for a very long time though.

"Meh." Kakarot said suddenly with a shrug. It wasn't even a word. It was just a noise that stated his indifference on the matter.

"Kakarot!" The King snapped and Kakarot's indifference changed to a scowl. Prince Vegeta smirked at Kakarot and winked so that only the younger Sayian would see before he phased out of sight.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, _father_." Prince Vegeta hissed in his father's ear from behind him before grabbing his armour and slamming him to the floor. He planted his knee into his father's back, thoroughly enjoying the squirming.

"I demand that you let me go at once Vegeta! Kakarot don't just stand there!" The King yelled in useless outrage.

"What's the matter? I thought I was just some useless low class disgrace that never did anything to help the Sayian Empire. Isn't that what you said?" Kakarot said mockingly.

"What are you talking about Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta asked in confusion since the King had stopped struggling at the words. Kakarot looked at him and for just a moment there was real pain in his eyes, a pain that spoke of a deep soul wrenching self-loathing and misery. Then it was gone, replaced once again by the dull lifelessness that had dominated those once sparking depths for the past two years. Kakarot looked away, not intending to answer the question.

Prince Vegeta glared in anger before returning his attention to the Sayian under his knee. He grasped the King's armour and swiftly lifted him from the floor before slamming him against a support beam.

"What did you do?" he demanded. The King glared at him, not at all liking the fact that he was helpless and every Sayian in the room knew it. There was nothing that he could do and his Pride was taking hits like never before. This was worse than bowing down to Frieza. This was bowing down to his own son. While he should have rejoiced in the fact that his son was stronger than him, he just couldn't bring himself to find the pride in the uncontrollable monstrosity that was his son, his heir. A small part of him admitted to the fact that the only reason he was at odds with his son was because he couldn't control him and he so desperately wanted to. Why, for no other reason than the superiority, to feel that which he had had once before so very long ago.

"I'm tired of this, do you know that! I figured if I played by your rules, if I didn't protest against them, if I just meekly went along with those shameful laws then you'd drop them, you'd see me as a worthy Prince, a worthy son. But it wasn't good enough was it?! I never stood a chance did I!?" The Prince yelled, his anger and frustration at his father finally boiling over when the King did not answer him.

"All my life, since the day I was born you've been telling me that it's my destiny to be the greatest Sayian there ever was. So I practically killed myself every day, trying to get stronger, to reach the legendary ascension that was my birth right . . . just like you kept telling me. It was mine, why couldn't I achieve it, but you kept saying that it was mine so I continued to train. I continued to push myself to my limits and beyond, WHY? It's expected of me to kill Frieza, that's why. Yet now you've limited my training so that I hardly make any progression at all. Make up your fucking mind! Am I or am I not to kill Frieza?" Prince Vegeta continued to rant, not having a particular direction in his complaints. He had so many years of frustrations built up that he could hardly keep up with his own thoughts. His mind was a burning rage of questions and accusations, but he forced himself to stop before he couldn't even form words anymore and he started to demand answers with his fists.

He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. It wouldn't help to lose it now. Not when the people he was to rule despised him. Why did they hate him so much? He'd figure it out later. For now he had something more important to worry about.

"What did you do to Kakarot?" He asked as calmly as he could force himself to be.

"Nothing."

The reply was not from the King but from Kakarot. Prince Vegeta reluctantly looked away from his father's murderous glare to stare at Kakarot. Their eyes locked as each, as stubborn as the other, tried to dare the other to just give in, believe the lie. Well that wasn't happening. He moved quickly, too quickly for even Kakarot to catch and grasped him from behind, an arm snaking around his waist and pulling him close. "I don't believe you . . ." The words were a caress of air in Kakarot's ear, hardly a sound at all. He lingered for as long as he dared, taking in the little things that he missed, had but did not have. Kakarot smelled like the open air, freedom in a rain forest, natural and clean. His body was warm, perhaps unnaturally so but as a Sayian that was bliss. The armour was moving ever so slightly with each breath that he took and it was hypnotic to feel, soothing . . .

Then the Prince was back to where had been only a second before only this time grasping the King by the throat. To anyone else, the King included it would appear that the Prince had merely changed positions. To Kakarot, he had done something more, awakened something that had been missing for far too long. He saw it now, the wide eyed confusion as Kakarot's heart beat faster, the pounding in his ears driving out all other thoughts. It was a confusion they both felt and had not felt since Frieza's last visit.

Prince Vegeta was forced to look away and that moment was lost once again. He scowled, not liking this up down crap. Today was just too much. He looked at his father who had been unsuccessfully trying to claw at his hand.

"Answer me, I'm not getting any younger you know." Prince Vegeta yawned.

"Fine! He came looking for you and he didn't like what he found out while searching. Now unhand me! I am your father, your KING!"

"Really? Then why the fuck do you not act like it?" Prince Vegeta glared before dropping his father to the floor. He stepped over the pathetic gasping heap and went directly to Kakarot. He grasped the other's arm and shot straight up into the air, blasting through the ceiling and flying in the direction of the banished Sayians. They had not returned there since their first encounter, but the Prince wasn't in the mood for his own people. They certainly didn't want him.

* * *

><p>He could feel their power levels the closer he got. There weren't many of them, maybe fifty or so but their Ki were so much more than that of the Sayians in the city. It wasn't more as it strength but more as in life. These Sayians were more alive, more innocent. Their Ki danced with a freedom and joy that he had not experienced for a very long time, if maybe ever.<p>

Prince Vegeta slowed down but did not release his hold on Kakarot's arm. The younger Sayian hadn't said a word the entire time and the Prince was grateful. He was just so filled with anger that he wasn't sure whether he would say something he'd regret or even do something.

He lowered to the ground when he saw the twinkling of a distant fire and faint roars of laughter drifted over to them. Slowly the two miserable Sayians made their way over to the fire. When they were close enough for their footsteps to be heard the laughter started to die out as the Sayians grew increasingly alert to their presence.

The Prince did not try to conceal their approach but rather stepped boldly forwards and into the golden glow from the campfire, only then releasing Kakarot's arm. By now, silence was all that greeted them (which was getting really over rated really quickly) and the happy crackle of the wood in the fire.

"What do you want brat Prince?" The question was asked by a Sayian that the Prince recognised to be Galick.

"I'm not feeling very Princy at the moment." Prince Vegeta muttered under his breath before saying more loudly, "Would it be terribly inconvenient if we intruded on your little get together and just crashed here for a day or so?"

"I don't see why not, just don't be a bother." Galick replied after a long silence.

The Prince nodded before sitting down in a shadowy corner, content to just ignore everyone. "How's it been Weirdo, you've grown an awful lot." One of the Sayians from their previous encounter commented addressing Kakarot.

Kakarot eyed the Sayian before rolling his eyes and sitting down next to the Prince. Prince Vegeta was moody and when he was moody he was silent. This time however he was muttering to himself under his breath. His foot shot out and connected with Kakarot who yelped in surprise and glared at the Prince. "You still haven't answered my question brat."

"Yes I did, I told you nothing happened." Kakarot glared back.

"Liar."

"Immature baby."

"Freak."

"Spoilt brat."

"Pathetic low class runt."

With a scream of frustration Kakarot threw himself at the Prince. Their exchange of names hadn't been very mature but he didn't care. Tonight was just too weird. They tumbled around on the ground, each one trying to gain the upper hand in their brawl. "Sit still so that I can punch you." The Prince yelled. "No way! You called me uumphf pathetic, jerk!" Kakarot's muffled reply managed to worm its way back to the Prince from the twisted position his body had been forced into.

"Would you two cut it out already? Take your problems elsewhere if you're going to act like a pair of untrained kids." Galick complained blasting the sand next to them. He was completely ignored.

"Get off me!" Kakarot whined before flipping them over and promptly sitting on the Prince's chest. He smirked and wiggled before raising a brow and asking, "What are you going to do now?"

Prince Vegeta merely smirked before making a quick lung for Kakarot's tail. He knew that three reactions could be elicited from the younger Sayian by using his tail. The first and the most obvious one was the pain that all Sayians could experience. The second and the most recently discovered was sexual stimulation(That was only a recent discovery since he'd never actually tried it with Kakarot before). The last and the most amusing was . . . peals of laughter. He ran his hand down the Sayian's tail and rewarded with a jerk and then a squirm before the laughter started. Kakarot tried to hold it back making it all the more amusing to watch the sixteen year old. Eventually he gave in at the same time that his laughter started his strength failed and the Prince moved to the side so that Kakarot fell to the floor, still laughing uncontrollably. It had been a really long time since Kakarot had laughed like that. It was for that reason alone that the Prince was reluctant to let go of Kakarot's tail.

When Kakarot started to purr however he let go as though he'd been burned. Kakarot's whine of disapproval was barely heard but it was there nonetheless. He rolled over on to his knees to glare at the Prince. "You really have to stop doing that." He stood fully, his height really showing now that he was standing while the Prince was still on the ground. When had he gotten so tall?

Kakarot looked over his shoulder at the Prince who stood. Kakarot looked down and sighed, not missing the fact that the outcast-Sayians didn't bug them but rather left them to their own devices. "Do you really want to know what happened?"

"Now that is a stupid question."

"When you didn't come back after seeing Frieza off I got . . . worried. So tried to sense you out but when I couldn't find you that way either I . . . started to panic." Kakarot started turning away from the Prince and hesitating on words that in the past he'd never had a problem with before. He paused as he thought something over before continuing, "I went to the King in my panicked state, and I was met only with laughter. I was mocked for my concern and the King even tried to fight me when I persisted in trying to get an answer, his help, anything . . . so long as the end result would be to find you."

Kakarot started to pace then, moving in frustrated circles around the Prince. "I couldn't understand where you were. Were you off world? It didn't make sense that you would be since Sayians of royal birth were to remain on the planet at all times unless otherwise ordered so by Frieza." Kakarot recited as though he knew every law by heart and perhaps he did.

"Even in my panicked state I realised that something was wrong, you father wasn't acting as he should. . . At first I wondered why he did not act like my father would have but then I remembered that not all Sayians are like my father. Still though, your father was too indifferent to the matter, too amused with my confusion and worry. Why wasn't he at least angry that his precious Prince was missing?" Kakarot stopped, taking a deep shaky breath. Prince Vegeta didn't know what to do feeling very much like the time Kakarot poured his heart out to him after their fight in the city. He noticed that the other Sayians were now paying subtle attention.

"So I asked him out of pure instinct what he had done to you and . . . and he said t-that he was only fixing what I had destroyed. He said that it might have even been too late, that I had broken you too thoroughly. I was responsible for the greatest Sayian's fall from honour. I had cut him from his place in history before he had accomplished anything, before he was even King." Kakarot had fisted a hand in his hair and was tugging on it, tugging harder with each word he spoke. Prince Vegeta pried the fingers away from the soft strands and fisted his hand over Kakarot's fingers to prevent him from doing it again. He was forced to stand directly behind Kakarot to do this and Kakarot was unknowingly and gradually leaning against his chest.

"It was my fault that Tarble is gone. He sent him away to protect him from my influence, to save him from any further shame that associating with me would cause. It was MY FAULT that you were beaten by Frieza because the Lizard Lord knew you were hiding something." Kakarot sobbed, his knees giving out completely forcing the Prince to support him. He had been living with this for two years? Why had he not said anything? It was no wonder he looked so lifeless.

"Your people hate you because you lowered yourself to training with me. They hate you because you protect me. They hate you because I'm starting to make you more like me. That's what your father said. I was a bad influence, more than a disgrace to the Sayian Empire. Even my own father was shamed by having me for a son. His reputation and honour was dented, broken, because of me."

"Stop it Kakarot." Prince Vegeta said lowly and firmly, having heard enough. He could tell there was more, could tell that Kakarot was going to continue but he had to stop it. He couldn't listen anymore. He couldn't breathe properly. His chest felt too tight. His heart was finding it hard to pump his blood to the various parts and limbs of his body. He didn't understand why this was happening to him, he couldn't understand why his throat felt like it had a rope around it that was tightening with every word that Kakarot spoke.

Much deeper than that was the glaring truth that Kakarot was hurting, badly. He had lived with and fucking _BELIEVED_ the lies his father had said. He had believed it with every fibre of his being. So innocent, destroyed, gone forever and all for one Sayian's selfish amusement. How had he not seen this pain before? No. He had, he'd just not known what to do with it.

"I thought that maybe if I was less me and more Sayian then things would get better. I thought that if I followed all the rules, every order than he would stop being so hard on you. I thought that if I wasn't so different, if I wasn't me then you would be ohkay again. That your people would love you and respect you once more. Your father would praise your achievements and see them as I do. But . . ." Kakarot had been whispering but his voice trailed off. Prince Vegeta knew that the King had blamed Kakarot for a lot more than what Kakarot had told him and they were probably just as cruel and unfair. He, as the Sayian Prince had his own reputation for being brutal and cold but he'd never do this to Kakarot. He'd been drawn to that happy playful and carefree innocence too much. It was that utter freedom he'd seen in Kakarot that had first drawn his attention. He hadn't really needed the sparring partner even if he would have progressed further, that was just the excuse he'd used.

No, what he'd really wanted was an escape and it had taken him this long to realise the truth in his actions in bringing Kakarot to the palace.

"He was lying Kakarot. Playing with your emotions for his own amusement." Prince Vegeta said in a hoarse voice.

He remembered now, Kakarot had tried to tell him, had tried to apologise for his falsely believed crimes. When he'd finally found the Prince the first thing he'd said was . . .

"_I'm so very sorry my Prince. How can you ever forgive me for all that I have done to you, for all that I have cost you?"_

Prince Vegeta had been in such a rage, a rage that had been building and building during his two week confinement that he'd hardly heard the words let alone cared for their meaning. The only thing his mind had been focused on was the one thing he'd said, _"I'm going to kill him."_ Kakarot hadn't had the time to say anything more as he had had to stop the Prince's murderous rampage. After that, he'd just died emotionally as each day went and more punishments and hardships were added to the Prince's daily life. Those looks of accusation and triumph from his father to Kakarot now finally made sense in a harsh glaring reality.

"It wasn't your fault, none of it was." Prince Vegeta whispered pulling him closer so that he was almost crushing the sobbing Sayian to his chest. "It wasn't your fault."


	17. Chapter 17 Revelations

**Hello to all my awesome readers. You guys should go check out this story. It's unique and cute **** s/8274559/11/Collared It's a Vegeta and Kakarot on Planet Vegeta fic.**

**As always thanks for reading!**

Chapter 17

The out-cast Sayians had allowed them to stay in the house that they had previously slept in. The place had looked just as untouched as the last time that had been there and both city raised Sayians couldn't help but wonder about the importance of the lone stone building.

Perhaps it was simply a reminder of a past they had once had, a life they had once shared that could no longer be possible. Did they miss the days prior to the Tuffle massacre? Did Sayians miss anything at all?

Kakarot woke up in the large fluffy bed only to find that the Prince was not with him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling somewhat lighter than he usually did in the mornings. It wasn't a physical thing, but rather emotional. Prince Vegeta had assured him that all that the King had said was not true . . . still Kakarot couldn't help but feel that there was a tiny, minuscule amount of truth to the King's words.

He stood up and looked around, once again taking in the simplicity of the stone house. It reminded him of his home with his father. The palace still made him confused and somewhat irritated by all the unnecessary things it held.

He put his armour and boots on, grabbed his gloves and headed outside to where he could feel the Prince's Ki coming from.

"Faster. You'll have to do better than that if you want to hit me, much less win." He heard the Prince say with a chuckle.

Kakarot's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness as he pulled the white gloves onto his scarred and calloused hands. Fighting with the Prince would do that to anyone. He was brutal when he really wanted to win. At the current moment he appeared to be sparring with one of the Sayians. The look in his eyes told Kakarot that he was secretly mocking the other Sayian.

Kakarot saw why when the Sayian sparring partner sprang wildly at the Prince with a yell of determination and tried to hit the Prince in the face. The Sayian was but a mere child, maybe younger then Tarble would be now or perhaps the same age. His technique was hasty and filled with angry determination. He'd never get anywhere if he continued to fight like that. Kakarot smirked, tugging on the glove a final time before phasing out of sight and reappearing behind the Prince. Prince Vegeta's eyes widened slightly at the sudden approach and he spun around only to have Kakarot's fist slam across his cheek. His head snapped to the side at the unguarded assault.

"That, kid, is how it's done." Kakarot smirked, a habit he had picked up and liked while trying his very best to be as Sayian like as possible.

Kakarot was forced to block a swinging kick from the Prince but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the redirected punch. It was a hard one too. He flew backwards, his nose broken. There was a slight whoosh and an even slighter pop as he used his Ki to stop his momentum.

Prince Vegeta saw the blood, his eyes widened the tiniest amount, flashing with guilt, before it was gone and he smirked. "An eye for an eye Kakarot, but you appear to be getting slow."

"Well, _Prince_ I believe it was a chin for a nose." Kakarot replied wiping away the blood and concentrating a small amount of Ki to stop further flow.

"Technical aren't we? You should be concentrating on the fight you started and not the trivial matters." Prince Vegeta warned before he was gone, simply not there anymore. Kakarot scowled before looking up just in time to see the Prince's clasped hands aimed for his head. He darted to the left. The Prince's momentum carried him further down before he managed to stop.

The fight would have continued had a loud whistle not diverted their attention. Both Sayians scowled, silently agreeing to end this later. It seemed that the younger untrained Sayian had run off and alerted Galick to the fight.

"Don't you idiots want breakfast first?" He'd said the magic word. Kakarot yelped in happiness and immediately flew back down to the ground. Prince Vegeta followed at a less reckless pace with a smirk.

"So my son tells me that you two can fight." Galick commented conversationally as he lead them to the rest of the Sayians.

"Of course we can! That's all a Sayian knows, all a Sayian is good for. A Sayian who can't fight is hardly a Sayian at all." Kakarot answered immediately, reciting lines his father had been saying to him since he had learned to walk. "Sayians who can't fight get judged. If they're lucky they get executed. If not they're put on the medical staff. That's a terrible place to be. After all who wants to be in the line of fire of angry hurt Sayians who refuse to believe that need help in the first place?"

"Hn, I heard you were almost executed." Prince Vegeta said with a cruel grin and nudging Kakarot with his shoulder.

"Yeah, and then I grew up and happened to meet you. Wasn't the alternative so much better." Kakarot smirked back.

"Wait, wait, so let me get this straight, all the Sayians in the city have to fight. There's no choice?" Galick asked sounding troubled.

"No, never has been. Frieza wanted a warrior race so we have to keep it up. A lot of Sayians get killed in battle. It's the ultimate death. For a Sayian to die in battle is very honourable." Prince Vegeta replied puffing out his chest.

Suska suddenly appeared in front of them. She hooked an arm around the Prince's shoulders and pouted mockingly, "Man you city shits have it hard. Here, we only fight for the fun of it." Prince Vegeta scowled at her before snarling, "Yes and your lack of training is evident. Now unhand me! You have no right to touch a Prince." Kakarot decided that his volatile reaction was due to being called a shit. Kakarot sighed before raising a hand and smacking the back of the Prince's head with a loud but not painful thwack.

"Kakarot!" Prince Vegeta yelled in outrage.

"Oh don't get your tail in a knot. We're going to breakfast." Kakarot laughed. The sound shocked the Prince from his enraged state and he visibly cooled.

"So that weakling was your son?" Prince Vegeta asked suddenly as though only realising it himself.

"Yes, and among us he is no weakling." Galick replied while taking a small bit of offense to the words.

"Well to us he needs more training. He was too slow to even dodge my extended foot resulting in a particularly funny trip." Prince Vegeta informed with a sense of arrogant immaturity.

"Alright then, I'll humour you. Ever since your last visit you've been trying to tell me how powerful you are. So then, how powerful are you?" Galick said with a raised brow.

Kakarot was about to answer the question before Prince Vegeta did when he felt several Ki signals heading their way. "Ah man, they couldn't even wait for breakfast." He whined bringing the Prince's attention to the approach as well.

"Do we wait here or go out to meet them?" Kakarot asked looking at the frowning Prince.

"Meet them. Otherwise they'll just come here." Prince Vegeta replied hovering into the air once more.

"Sorry, old timer, we have to go. Maybe next time." Prince Vegeta said with a nod.

"Maybe next time you'll be a bit more respectful but I aein't holding my breath." Galick replied with a very Sayian like smirk.

"Tell your son to keep practising and maybe I will." Prince Vegeta yelled back before speeding up and out of sight. Kakarot turned to Galick and bowed, a sign of utmost respect among all the Sayians, before he too took off into the sky, following the Prince.

"Well well well, look what we have here." Prince Vegeta said with a cocky smirk, having met the Elite palace guards. They didn't look very happy to be there. In fact they looked pissed. Prince Vegeta wondered briefly what the King had threatened them with.

"Six little Elite to have some fun with." He continued about to punch a random Sayian in the face when Kakarot's hand closed over his fist. "Enough Vegeta." No Prince, so he was dead serious.

Prince Vegeta scowled before lowering his arm and shooting off towards the palace. He'd known that their little get away would be interrupted sooner or later. After all his father had found him the night before. Something was not right about that. Was there a tracking device on him? He wouldn't put it past his father. For now though, he was hungry and there was always food at the palace.

* * *

><p>"TAG YOU'RE IT!" Kakarot yelled bursting into the room and swiping Prince Vegeta's legs out from under him.<p>

"Kakarot! What the hell?" Prince Vegeta asked, stopping his fall and straightening. Kakarot however was nowhere in sight. Prince Vegeta looked all over, his eyes barely taking in the faces of all the Sayians around him, least of all his father's. The King had been lecturing him, going on and on about his breaking of the laws. Prince Vegeta hadn't hit him yet since Kakarot had made him promise not to.

Giving up on his eyes he used his senses and found Kakarot hiding behind the throne. He darted towards it, thoroughly enjoying the look of frozen almost fear on his father's face. He hopped around his father and around the throne. Kakarot giggled, yes an actual legitimate giggle before shooting away and towards the ceiling.

"The aim of the game is to catch me. If you do then I have to catch you, get it?" Kakarot asked from his spot on the ceiling. Prince Vegeta ignored his father's protest and shot up, forced to change direction mid-way when Kakarot dived to the floor.

Kakarot dodged the Prince and hid behind the spluttering King. As Prince Vegeta tried to go around the King Kakarot rotated, walking at an even pace to match the Prince's so there was always an even spacing between them.

"Vegeta! I demand that you stop this at once." The screamed order was ignored as Prince Vegeta lunged for the spiky haired teen. Kakarot laughed before flying backwards and towards the door.

Prince Vegeta scowled before following, only to be grabbed from behind the minute he'd gotten through the door. "Relax. I just thought I should get you out of there. Besides this is a great substitute for training since we're not allowed to train." Kakarot said softly in his ear and the Prince could hear the self-satisfied smirk in his voice.

"And how is this training?" He dared to ask. "Well for starters, speed and evasion." Kakarot replied before letting go and phasing out of sight. A ghostly giggle filled the corridor as just as a voice informed the Prince "You're still it."

The two zoomed at frightening speeds, each one determined not to lose. The palace was in complete disarray because of it, not that the two Sayians cared very much. They were past the point of caring but they weren't so far gone that they were ignorant of the amount of times Sayian tried to just outright kill them.

Kakarot's laughter floated back to the Prince as he was always just behind the other, just a breath's width short of grabbing hold of the other. Prince Vegeta decided that now was a good time to change tactics. Dropping his power, while meant he wasn't as fast, meant that Kakarot would be forced to come and find him out of confusion.

With an arrogant smirk he backtracked till he was by the balcony that was becoming sort of paramount to their daily lives.

"Hay Prince? Where are you? You do know the whole point is to catch me right?" Kakarot called down the empty corridor when the signs and sounds of pursuit ceased. "Prince?" Of course he got no answer in return. He tried to sense the Prince out but he'd managed to lower it enough so that it couldn't be sensed from the distance he was at. Kakarot frowned as he tried to imagine all the possibilities. Problem was there were just so many. He growled in frustration before picking the one he thought fit the Prince best. After all he knew the Sayian better than he knew himself.

He snuck around the corner with his power as low as he could make it. He had about a nanosecond window of opportunity. If he failed then he lost.

With a smirk Kakarot walked out onto the balcony. From his spot on the ledge above the door Prince Vegeta smirked in silent victory. He pounced, expecting to land on top of Kakarot but instead passed right through him?

Prince Vegeta snarled angrily before looking up and at a laughing Kakarot. "Like the after image. I did. You looked so _cute_ as you gleefully jumped for it."

With pure anger and determination the Prince shot up and at Kakarot, surprising the gloating Sayian and wrapping his arms around him, shifting so that Kakarot was now in a choke hold. "Leave the arrogant gloating to me Kakarot, it doesn't suit you." Prince Vegeta chuckled while Kakarot squirmed, "Tag you're it by the way."

He let go and darted to the palace. He could literally feel his heart beat faster when he heard signs of pursuit. No wonder Kakarot liked running so much. It was completely thrilling. BUT it was nothing compared to the chase, having to hunt down your opponent. So he decided that the best defence was an even greater offense. Kakarot was chasing him, yes, but he was going to be chasing Kakarot.

* * *

><p>"Awww man I'm so hungry." Kakarot whined lying on the floor. He'd been lying there for the past half an hour. What was he doing? "Prince! Get your butt out of hiding. I want to call a truce. I'm hungry." Kakarot yelled sounding thoroughly miserable.<p>

Prince Vegeta watched the pathetic form carefully. Should he? Cautiously he climbed down from the ceiling support beams. He was particularly careful not to make any noise least this be a ploy. His rational mind told him that he himself was getting pretty hungry so it shouldn't be.

"So you want to get something to eat huh?" Prince Vegeta stated standing out of reach looking down at the sprawled form who currently had his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Kakarot groaned and whined, not even making a twitch in the Prince's direction.

Prince Vegeta sighed at the pathetic sight before walking closer and nudging the sixteen year old with his boot. "Alright then, let's go get something to eat."

Kakarot sprang up like he'd been electrocuted and threw his arms around the Prince, "Yay! Have I mentioned that you're my best friend? Cause you are!" he exclaimed nodding his head vigorously. Prince Vegeta stood frozen for a moment before he pulled back.

As Kakarot led the way humming to himself Prince Vegeta smirked, liking the fact that although he wasn't a hundred percent back to being like he was, he was getting there.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta ate as fast as he could, eager to finish before Kakarot so that he had a head start. He barely even tasted the food, gulping it down as fast as his lungs would allow him to.<p>

When he was done he grinned evilly in Kakarot direction who was hurriedly trying to finish his own food and left the otherwise empty dining hall as fast as he could. He had decided during the previous game that Kakarot was no good at hunting, so he was going to do it again, only he wasn't going to hide right under the younger Sayian's nose.

With a gleefully sadistic chuckle Prince Vegeta headed to the other side of the palace. It was a side that not even he went very often so Kakarot wouldn't go there any time soon.

The reason he didn't come to this part of the palace was because he was more likely to run into his father, that and the fact that there were more guards here than anywhere else. It was ludicrous really, when the King was stronger than all his guards. Prince Vegeta always saw them as sacrificial lambs, their deaths would alert the King to trouble.

Sticking to the support beams Prince Vegeta moved through the palace as quietly as he could, careful to keep his Ki as low as he possibly could. He froze though when he heard the muffled sound of his father's voice.

In this direct part of the palace wing there were few to no guards so that there could be no information leaks. Good thing for him that the security, as Kakarot would say, sucked.

He snuck closer to his father's office, now curious as to what he was saying. There was a tiny air vent high above the door so that should there be a fire others would see the smoke. With fights breaking out and Ki inevitably getting involved there were a few problems with fire. Kakarot and the Price could proudly say that they knew how to put their fires out the same way they started it.

The King could not be seen but his muffled voice could be heard, and that of another more respectful Sayian. The other was probably there to manage everything. Like a PA.

"So the South Sector needs more Sayians for the harvest, send them the Sayians awaiting punishment for some or other crime. That's about the best punishment we have that won't take away from their fighting ability." The King grumbled almost talking to himself. "Yes, my King." The King grumbled under his breath, too soft to be heard at the respectful agreement. "What else is there on the list, Gurt?" There was a pause, some shuffling of papers and then a hesitant clearing of the throat. "Some of the less excitable members of the council wish to address the matter of the Prince's mate. He is after all coming of age."

"Less excitable members? Hahaha, you mean the ones that don't give a hoot either way. The ones that do not complain but merely point out the matters of state. I like those ones." The King laughed. "Yes, my King, they did point out that the Prince has not coupled with another female since Prince Tarble was sent away. However this assessment was inaccurate. The Prince has not coupled since low class Sayian Kakarot walked in on his last coupling." Gurt continued in a voice that seemed like he was used to the King's odd way of speaking.

Prince Vegeta was shocked out of anger. They had even been keeping track of his sexual life?! Well upon reflection he could have illegitimate heirs running around now could he?

The King sighed. He mumbled something to himself before saying more loudly, "The Prince's sexual affairs are not of my concern as of yet. He has plenty of time to find a suitable mate. If he should not find one by the age of twenty-five then I will step in. Right now he is twenty-one years old, he's still only a child. Let him live as such for the time being."

Shock didn't even describe his current state of mind. His father was backing off from something so vital to the Vegeta line? What was going on there?

There was silence in the office, shuffling of papers, scratch of pen on tablet . . . then ever so slight was the nervous shuffling of feet. "Gurt! Spit I out already. I know you've been wanting to say something for a while now." The King barked suddenly even making Prince Vegeta jump.

"W-well my King, I had been wondering when you were going to drop the restrictions surrounding the Prince?" Gurt asked lamely.

There was a heart stopping silence as Prince Vegeta waited for the answer. It was also in that silence that he realised that Kakarot had found him and was trying to sneak up on him. With a silent curse he phased out of sight and reappeared with his hand clamped over Kakarot's mouth before yanking the other Sayian back to where he had been.

" . . .-on't understand why they're there in the first place, a lot of Sayians don't." Gurt was saying.

"Shut it Kakarot and listen." Prince Vegeta hissed, none too happy at having missed the reply when Kakarot squirmed and tried to speak.

When Kakarot nodded the Prince let go and indicated towards the air vent and then placed two fingers to his lips to indicate that the other had to be quite. There was a painful silence from the room on the other side of that air vent and Prince Vegeta imagined the Sayian Gurt to be sweating bullets right about now. His father was still the strongest Sayian on the planet . . . Bardock wasn't currently on the Planet and a good few still had to figure out that he'd surpassed the King, Bardock included.

"My son, Gurt, had achieved a power level many Sayians can only desperately hope for when he was merely five. By the time he was ten he was even with me. While this is what we all hoped for, more even, it is also a great burden." King Vegeta stated wearily, "As his power grew so did his arrogance. With every rising number on the scouter I realised that his uncontrollability grew that much more." By the time he was twelve he'd killed more of his own people than what an Elite Sayian child his own age had defeated in all their training. He knew nothing of self-restraint. Every Sayian that ever tried to instruct him ended up incinerated."

Prince Vegeta cringed at the words. He'd been brutal as a child, never understanding the meaning of no, well never actually accepting it. He had known he was better than the rest and had believed that he should have been treated as such. Now he knew better, he understood more, regretted more.

"At birth he was given the highest estimation ever recorded for the possibility of achieving the Legendary ascension. With that estimation came the expectation to defeat Frieza . . . It cannot be easy having to live with that pressure. I am no fool. There is a reason I bend my knee to that freak." The King continued lost in his own thoughts. He said nothing for a full minute, letting the silence stretch and grow into something almost tangible. "For a long time his arrogance blinded him to what his task really meant, just how impossible it was. He knew that Frieza was powerful but he failed to grasp just how much stronger Frieza was. Hell I don't even think he realised how much stronger Frieza's lower soldiers were. To them the Sayians are scum that they wouldn't even allow to grace the bottom of their _Sayian_ boots." The King stopped again, his anger rising with his every word but he took a deep shaky breath, "Then along came a happy abomination of a Sayian, a low class reject and instantly he knows more than anyone else has ever been able to ascertain. He managed to convince the Prince that there is so much more to-to-to _everything_!"

The King huffed, probably having gotten up as he had spoken only to fall back into the chair heavily.

"My son has never been so focused, so open to learning from another than what he has been with Kakarot. There has never been a surer moment in my mind that he will reach the Legendary state of Super Sayian. I placed those restrictions on him because he needs to learn that his task is not an easy one. He needs to try harder in order to achieve what he wants. So far he's disappointed me. I expected him to be far more creative. Winning a battle isn't not only based upon how you fight, there's brains involved in there as well."

"So you're giving him your own sort of training?" Gurt asked for clarification, "It's a very obscure kind sire."

"Yes. Raw strength only gets you so far. I just hope he comes to realise that sooner rather than later."

**I believe that the King sincerely believes that he's helping. Perhaps he needs some pointers . . .**


	18. Chapter 18 Idiocy and nether regions

**Sorry for the wait guys, XD I was finishing up a bunch of school work and writing tests. Ah life, if only, if only there were more hours in a day. **

Chapter 18.

Kakarot and the Prince snuck away from the King's office and went directly to the balcony. That blasted balcony had seemed to become central to their lives. Kakarot was silent as he waited for the Prince to say something, anything.

The Prince was angry, awestruck . . . deliriously confused. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know what to do. He certainly didn't know how he was supposed to feel. Every thought in his mind was curiously blank, creating a numbing buzz of uncertainty.

Then slowly, clawing its way through the think blanketing buzz of absolute nothingness, was the realisation . . . . . "My father, is an utter imbecile."

Kakarot blinked at him before bursting into peals of laughter. "It's not funny Kakarot, my father is an idiot. I'm the son of a moron." Prince Vegeta insisted which only made Kakarot laugh more.

"Oh lighten up Prince, it could've been worse. He could've just been doing it to see you miserable." Kakarot managed to say between chuckles. Prince Vegeta frowned, looking down. In his agitation his tail had come unwound and was now swinging in lazy arcs behind him. Kakarot watched it, waiting for what ever it was the Prince was going to do next and he _would_ do something. Now it jest became a question of how server?

"Come on Kakarot, we're going to the landing bay." Prince Vegeta ordered marching to the balcony door, his red cape snapping the tune of his anger.

"So we go from fight club to tag to sneaking off world. That's a big jump." Kakarot commented dryly, listing the events on his fingers.

Prince Vegeta scowled at the younger Sayian who smirked in satisfaction. Kakarot's smirk quickly changed to a frown. "What?" The Prince asked, stopping.

"Can you feel that too?" Kakarot replied closing his eyes and concentrating more on what ever the energy signal was that he was picking up on.

Kakarot could feel a familiar but faint power signal. It was high up, far away. Probably a space pod. Kakarot drew in a breath when he realised that the energy was far too low. "Radditz is in trouble." Kakarot stated opening his eyes and looking back at the Prince.

"How far away is he?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"He's in the atmosphere."

Both of them paused for a mere second before shooting out the window. Kakarot shot ahead of the Prince, eager to get to his brother. He hadn't really seen his brother since he had stormed from the medical bay, having just told Kakarot how he truly felt. He just never seemed to be on the planet.

Kakarot saw the pod. It wouldn't be long now. Instead of going to it, he watched it plummet to the spongy pads on the landing bay docking stations.

Kakarot hardly waited for the doors to open before he was practically climbing into the space pod. His heart was thumping in his chest. Where had his brother gone? He'd never come back in such a state.

"Radditz?" Kakarot said carefully shaking his older brother. Radditz stirred and groaned in pain.

Behind Kakarot Prince Vegeta was barking orders. He was demanding for the location of Radditz's current assignment as well as all the details. Kakarot ignored him, leaving him to deal with that stuff. Instead he shifted Radditz and pulled the other's arm over his shoulders. Radditz whimpered quietly, his eyes squeezing shut tighter. Kakarot froze, his heart constricting in his chest. He wanted to cry but that wouldn't help his brother. He hadn't cried in a long time. Warm sticky blood transferred itself from Radditz and onto Kakarot as he lifted the other Sayian out the pod in one swift motion. The arm across his shoulders tightened. Kakarot could feel how tense his brother was and felt a swell of pride that his brother did not cry out in the pain he so obviously was in. That pride was somewhat dashed by the emotional pain. His brother was in bad shape. One could tell just by looking at him that several bones were crushed. His energy was dangerously low. He couldn't even stand. Kakarot practically dragged the older and taller Sayian to a rejuvenation tank.

The medical Sayians were rushing to help him remove Radditz's almost non-existent armour. Radditz woke up then. His eyes were wide, unfocused. He probably didn't even know where he was.

"Unhand me you weakling dogs!" He yelled, but he was too weak to even struggle. Even his scream lacked its usual enthusiasm.

Kakarot sighed before he lifted his brother from the metal table and shoved him in a tank. Radditz's anger only seemed to increase upon seeing Kakarot. Kakarot ignored his protests and shoved a mask onto his face. He stepped back to allow the tank to close and fill.

The monitor on the tank bleeped before beginning its scan. Radditz's injuries were increasing in alarming amounts. How was he still alive? Kakarot pressed the past injuries tab. His assumption that his brother had never before been such injured was proven correct. He'd barely even needed a tank.

Kakarot sighed heavily before sitting on the metal table his brother's blood still decorated. Radditz was his only brother and Kakarot had done nothing to calm the anger that plagued Radditz's heart and soul. He'd neglected to even see his brother while he was on the Planet, believing that his brother really wanted nothing to do with him.

A gloved hand wiped away the single tear that had managed to escape. "He went to Planet Argot. It was an assignment of the highest level. Sayians shouldn't even be touching that file let alone those assignments." Prince Vegeta stated quietly.

Kakarot looked at his brother's broken form. He looked worse than when he was beaten by Cui. His heart began to pound in his chest, his breathing because harsh. His throat felt constricted. But this time it wasn't because he was going to cry.

He shot from his seat and straight out the window. Prince Vegeta cursed before raising his power level enough to follow. Kakarot flew straight from the Elite City and went towards his previous home.

Only he didn't stop there. Kakarot was reckless, flying at speeds he never really had before. His power level was erratic lowering and raising with no reason nor pattern.

Prince Vegeta wanted to stop him, to demand what was wrong but Kakarot had never been like this before. He had no idea as to what he was supposed to do. Kakarot literally dropped from the air. He didn't slow his descent and as a result gained enough momentum to crash straight through the roof of a building.

He looked up, searching for the Sayian that was his target. When he didn't see the third class Sayian he sought after his anger only grew tenfold. Was this what it was like to be the Prince? How was he able to control this, to reel it in?

"Where is Mash?" he demanded of the Sayian in front of him, gaping at him like he was nuts.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the little runt." A voice mocked from behind him.

Kakarot spun around, his fist connecting with a surprised Sayian's jaw. "I'm not six years old anymore Mash." He warned.

"Oh don't we all know it. The idiot boy that rose from the harsh clutches of Sayian life and landed smack in the middle of royalty. A pampered life for a disgrace." Mash spat back wiping the blood from his split lip.

Kakarot screamed out in uncontrollable anger, blasting a wall. He was throwing his very first tantrum. For a normal Sayian child this was normal, expected even but when a Sayian of Kakarot age and power lost control the consequences was server. The Prince would know.

"You think it's so great living in the palace? Sure it's brilliant if you don't count all the times someone tries to kill you, or all the times they treat you like you're nothing oh and let's not forget the expectations, or the constant surveillance. Don't do that Kakarot it's not Sayian like, don't do this Kakarot, you'll disgrace the Prince. Be more like a Sayian, be a fucking Sayian you worthless piece of trash." Kakarot fumed, starting to sound completely unreasonable.

"That's enough Kakarot!"

Prince Vegeta had lowered to the floor. He had a slightly bewildered look on his face.

"No!" Kakarot yelled back, his power rocketing upwards with the volume of his voice. Prince Vegeta scowled with narrowed eyes. Did Kakarot just say no to him? No one denied him what he wanted. No one.

Prince Vegeta flew at Kakarot, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. Kakarot struggled and thrashed underneath him but the Prince refused to relent. He would not let Kakarot deal with the guilt that he had to all because of one slip in control. A temper tantrum that will go too far.

"No! No! No!" Kakarot continued to scream, thrashing and squirming with all the power he could muster. Prince Vegeta only raised him own power in response. "No! I want to know why!" Kakarot's screams were turning desperate. He was going to burn himself out soon. That was the thing about a temper tantrum, it ended about as quickly as it began.

"I want to know why my brother's training partner, his crew member, was not there! I want to know why he had no one to help him!" Kakarot was sobbing now. He had ceased his struggling and the Prince's restraining grip became one of comfort. "Why?" Kakarot sobbed over and over, his body shaking with his sobs.

"Come on Kakarot let's go back to your brother." Prince Vegeta sighed getting up and pulling the still sobbing younger Sayian with him. Prince Vegeta glared at the Sayian called Mash before wrapping his arm around Kakarot's abdomen and shooting upwards. He was the one flying them home, not each one supporting themselves separately. Kakarot was still crying but it was silent shakes that made him feel utterly miserable.

"I know where our next adventure is going to be." Kakarot sniffed.

"You really think we're strong enough for one of the highest level assignments in the pool?" Prince Vegeta asked looking down at the spikey disarray of black locks.

"One can only try before he knows whether he will succeed or fail." Kakarot replied.

That was how the Prince found himself inside a space pod for the very first time in his life. The experience was less that thrilling. It's was rather uncomfortable actually. Cramped and boring. He'd heard about the artificial sleep function but he didn't even know how to work the pod so that was on no use. He could only hope that the trip was short.

* * *

><p>He wished the trip was longer! The turbulence of re-entry was hard, especially on his nether regions. Everything was shaking and rattling. The air was heating up and not in the comfortable way. Being a Sayian and all, that was saying something. He very nearly bit his tongue off when the pod crashed painfully onto the solid rock ground. His body shot upwards and he hit his head on the roof of the pod.<p>

The door hissed opened and the only thing that could've made all that feel better was the sight of Kakarot curled into a moaning ball, one hand clutching at his spikey locks and the other gripping his aching crotch.

Kakarot got to all fours and looked around at the desolate planet. There were signs of a battle, a nasty one at that. There were also several other pod craters. How many soldiers had tried to take on this assignment?

"Where do you think they're hiding?" Kakarot asked getting to his feet when the Prince moved to stand next to him.

"Why ask me, you're the one that's better at sensing things." Prince Vegeta scoffed in reply.

"Oh, yeah, right." Kakarot laughed putting a hand to the back of his head. Prince Vegeta hadn't seen him do that for a long time. It must have taken a lot of concentration not to do it when it seemed like such an unconscious thing for him.

Kakarot closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting the new energies around him impress on his mind. It was so different from Planet Vegeta. It was exciting yet daunting at the same time. While Planet Vegeta thrummed with life, this planet was almost dead. Why did Frieza want it?

"The report on this place said that it used to be a very vibrant planet, but also that the current inhabitants are not compatible with it and are to be terminated. The report says that the planet may be able to heal itself only if the inhabitants are removed." Prince Vegeta informed him.

"Terminated." Kakarot breathed. He didn't like the idea but he didn't like what they were doing to the planet. Did they know that they were doing it?

"So what have you found? Where are they?" Prince Vegeta asked impatiently.

"Oh, uhm well that's just it, it's weird. It's like there's nothing there, but there's something." Kakarot replied thoughtfully.

"That makes no sense." Prince Vegeta complained.

Kakarot blinked at him before pouting, "Then sense it out yourself if you're so good at it."

Prince Vegeta grumbled under his breath but closed his eyes. His conclusion was the exact same as Kakarot's which wasn't much. "Maybe we should just fly around, we might find something." Kakarot suggested.

"No, I have a better idea." Prince Vegeta smirked before charging up a ball of Ki. He then tossed it up into the air where it exploded with a flare of brilliance. Shadows that had surrounded them were chased away, leaving behind what they had not been able to see before.

"Jerk! You could have warned be before you did that." Kakarot complained clutching at his eyes.

"Uh, Kakarot we have a slight problem." Prince Vegeta replied staring with wide eyes at the problem, the very big problem.

"What?" Kakarot managed, squinting at him.

"We're surrounded. By big ugly freaks." Prince Vegeta replied. Kakarot's vision seemed to be returning somewhat since he squinted at their surroundings. He looked at the ball of light and watched as it faded, leaving them in a darkness they hadn't quite realised was there the first time.

"Hay, I get it now. I couldn't feel their energy because it so large it spans over the entire planet. It makes it equal and impossible to tell one from the other. I have no idea how strong they are." Kakarot realised. Prince Vegeta only smirked. Trust him to see this as fun and not a potential problem. Kakarot knew that this had been partially his idea but he was still worried.

Kakarot sprang to his feet when a low rumble that could only be called a growl shook the ground. "Do you hear that?" Prince Vegeta asked and Kakarot didn't need a light to know that he was smirking, "Sounds like a challenge." The Prince continued.

Prince Vegeta sprang at a pair of glowing eyes. His raised fist slammed into the alien's face, right between the creepy eyes. Kakarot was about to cheer but his cry of happiness died in his throat when Prince Vegeta howled in surprise and clutched at his throbbing hand. "What are these things made of?" he yelled.

"Try putting more power into it. You are suppressing the majority of your power." Kakarot suggested, not even daring to laugh, but he couldn't help the tiny chuckle. Prince Vegeta considered the suggestion before shrugging and doing just that only to end up with the same result.

Kakarot would have laughed this time, if he wasn't currently running in the opposite direction of one of the monsters. He wouldn't call it running away, just running in a different direction. After all Sayians did not run away. "Look who's laughing now Kakarot!" Prince Vegeta yelled with obvious glee.

"Shut up and do something." Kakarot yelled back ducking out of the way of a swinging claw. The only made the Prince laugh harder till he had to duck a claw of his own.

* * *

><p>"He did WHAT!?" King Vegeta yelled in outrage. When the Sayian started to repeat what he'd just said the King cut him off with a glare.<p>

"What was that fool thinking?" He muttered under his breath. Louder he demanded for a full report on the planet his son and that blasted low class mutt had run off to. When his son got back there was going to be hell to pay. Sayians of Royalty did not leave the planet unless otherwise ordered and Prince Vegeta had received no such order. If that moron died there would be no heir to the throne other than his other idiot son Tarble. He was almost as bad as the Kakarot brat.

King Vegeta sighed angrily before pinching the bridge of his nose. That fool better come back alive.

* * *

><p>"Prince, what are we supposed to do, our attacks aren't working?" Kakarot panted. His back was pressed against the Prince's as they stood side by side surrounded by the giant seemingly indestructible beasts. Kakarot and the Prince were forced to jump out of the way when another clawed paw tried to step on them.<p>

So far they'd been thrown, bashed, clawed, nearly chewed and trodden on. The only reason they were still alive was because of their exalted power level. That wasn't going to last forever though.

"Just keep attacking!" Prince Vegeta yelled darting at one of the beasts once again. They both refused to give up, determined not to be beaten.

Ki attacks were useless, serving only as pretty light displays and wasted energy. None of their physical attacks seemed to work either. Not a dent, not even a scratch.

Kakarot clenched his eyes shut when the Prince was once again thrown backwards. They had to come up with something else. If only they had the . . . power . . . of the . . . Oozaru. Just like that it hit him. He phased over to the Prince's side, steeping in front of his next intended and no doubt failed attack.

"You have got to stop doing that Kakarot." Prince Vegeta said lowly with narrowed eyes. He spat on the ground and Kakarot saw the blood. He looked away before telling the Prince his idea.

"Do you think being Oozaru would help?" Kakarot asked.

Prince Vegeta looked at him like he was nuts. "Do you see any full moons around here?" he asked sarcastically.

Kakarot grit his teeth at the tone and looked away muttering, "No, but I can make one."

Prince Vegeta didn't say anything, only stared at him in disbelief. "Say what?" He eventually blurted out.

"You heard me. I can make one, so do you think it'll help or not?" Kakarot said hurriedly.

He'd promised his father that he'd never use the technique on Planet Vegeta. He wasn't on Planet Vegeta right now so he wasn't bound by his word.

His heart was pounding in this chest at the thought of doing this. He wasn't entirely sure why. Would the Prince use this technique unfairly? Kakarot had to have more faith in him, it was too late now anyways. As it was the Prince was staring at him with wide eyes that held disbelief, but there was that something extra, something a lot like malicious greed.

The two were so absorbed in each other and Kakarot's solution that neither noticed the beast sneak up behind the Prince. An armour clawed paw swiped that the Prince, snatching him up in a grip that was sure to crush every bone in his body.

Prince Vegeta screamed in an agony Kakarot had never heard from him before. His mind was made up. He clenched his fist and it started to glow. He threw it into the air and it exploded in incandescent blinding flare.

"Prince Vegeta, open your eyes!" Kakarot screamed before looking up himself. Prince Vegeta's scream of agony changed, grew deeper and more feral. It was the sound of the Oozaru and to Kakarot, it was beautiful.

He felt his own throat roar in reply, his mind sinking away as the primitive mind of the Oozaru began to take over. Even in this form he was bound to obedience. He would forever serve his Prince.

* * *

><p>Kakarot jerked awake. His thoughts were immediately racing. His armour was damaged but still covering his body in the most important places. His body also hurt like hell. He felt like he'd been crushed.<p>

He struggled to his feet, barely managing to stay upright. The place he was in was utterly destroyed. Where was the Prince and were there any of those beasts alive? He wasn't sure he had the ability to fight them. Kakarot wondered distantly how the Prince would react to the defeat and both of them would see this as a defeat. Having to resort to the Oozaru form was an act of desperation, a last defence. It could not be accepted.

Kakarot struggled forward, stumbling more than walking. He was determined to find the Prince but his body wasn't up for it. With a cry of pain he fell to the floor, unable to get up again.

He lay there, both gasping for air and crying at his failure. But suddenly there was a warm hand on his shoulder and he was being hauled to his feet. "Let's go home Kakarot." The Prince stated as he supported the other to the space pods.

"I failed you Prince." Kakarot sobbed.  
>"Don't be ridiculous. We're alive because of you. Even when we were in the form of the Oozaru you protected me no matter the cost to yourself. I bet you're feeling it now huh?" Prince Vegeta replied with a smirk at that last part.<p>

"We have to train harder." Kakarot gasped with a small smile.

"Yes, we do." Prince Vegeta agreed quietly, knowing the Kakarot had slumped against him more in unconsciousness. He had to get them home and that's all that mattered now.

* * *

><p>The alarm went off, alerting everyone to the arrival of the two space pods hurtling towards the landing bay. Neither Sayians inside the pods were conscious to later complain about the landing not the turbulence.<p>

"Get them out of there now!" An order from the King. He froze when he saw the state of the Sayians now being dragged from the pods. They were both an utter mess. A complete wreck. Prince Vegeta stirred before his eyes squeezed together in a grimace. He opened his eyes and angrily shoved the Sayians around him away. "Don't touch me!" He yelled angrily.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" The King roared since the boy was awake anyway.

"What do you care, the mission's accomplished. You can report it to Frieza and bring the Sayians some respect." Prince Vegeta barked back at his father before turning away from him and ignoring him completely. He focused instead on Kakarot. "Get him to a tank immediately." He said it quietly but the tone he had said it in made the Sayians rush to obey him.

"My Prince, do you not wish for one as well?" A quiet simple question. It was only that which kept the Prince from blasting the Sayian who had dared to ask if he, the Prince of all Sayians, needed a tank. "I'm fine." He replied instead.

"As you wish, Prince."

* * *

><p>"Planet Argot has been purged, Sire." Zarbon's silky voice intruded.<p>

"Oh. And who managed that feat, the Ginyu force? I was beginning to think I'd have to do it myself." Frieza commented drily.

"Well, no Milord, the Ginyu Force was not responsible. It was in fact a pair of Sayians, Sire" Zarbon replied uncomfortably.

"Sayians? My, my, don't they appear to be making a name for themselves."

"A video footage was recovered from a previously defeated soldier's scouter that was still active. After much tedious watching and analysing, we were able to observe as a Sayian attempted the mission but failed, barely making it back to his pod. A day or so later Prince Vegeta and another Sayian arrived, fairing only slightly better than the last Sayian but not well enough. When things took a turn for the worst, the other Sayian created what we believe is a false full moon. This 'moon' triggered the Oozaru transformation allowing the two to purge the planet with less resistance. Sire." Zarbon summarised for the Lizard Lord frowning at the recesses of space.

"Prince Vegeta? I thought Sayian royalty didn't leave the planet." It was a rhetorical comment, needing nor demanding a reply.

"The other Sayian was the son of Bardock, as was the first Sayian who had failed prior, Milord." Zarbon said by way of explanation.

"Bardock. That name just keeps popping up. I'm going to have to do something about those pesky Sayians. They seem to be getting out of hand." Frieza mused.

"Do you want them eliminated, sire?" Zarbon asked.

"No, leave them for now."


	19. Chapter 19 Time in all it's wonders

**Here's the next chapter! It's so sad but it had to be written. I'm such a bad person.**

Chapter 19

"Kakarot, I need you to wake up!" Kakarot groaned and stirred. His body still ached but he became conscious enough to realise that he was wet and shivering violently. Someone had pulled him from the tank before he was fully healed.

He forced his eyes open, his vision blurred and wavering. When it focused his eyes widened. He was looking at himself but it wasn't him. "Daddy."

"You're too old to say that Kakarot, now come on we don't have much time." Bardock said, his voice straining under the urgency of his mission.

"What's wrong?" Kakarot asked, taking the image of his father in. His father looked no better than he had when he landed on Planet Vegeta mere hours ago. They shouldn't be running away from the tanks, they should be heading back for them.

"Find the Prince. I know that you can do these things so do it now." Bardock ordered instead of answering the question.

Kakarot focused, trying to find even the smallest flicker from the Prince. "He's in his room, asleep." Kakarot replied and his father yanked him faster. Bardock stopped suddenly and Kakarot ploughed painfully into his back. "Will you pay attention." Bardock snapped irritably, "Now which way is his room?"

Kakarot took the lead as Bardock urged him to move faster. In irritation Kakarot hovered into the air and simply flew them there. He might still be hurt but he was fairing a lot better than his father.

Bardock didn't even knock before he opened the door and stormed in. Prince Vegeta was immediately awake, awake, not lucid. "Kakarot I thought you were in a tank." He mumbled sleepily.

"No that's my dad." Kakarot smirked.

Prince Vegeta rubbed at one eye. He looked about as healthy as they all did. That's what he got for refusing a tank. "Come back in the morning. I'm still sleeping." Prince Vegeta yawned about to grab his pillow and go back to sleep.

A bright flash of blue and the pillow was disintegrated. "I'm sorry Prince but we don't have time for that. You and Kakarot need to get to the landing bay immediately. Radditz is already off world. I took care of him first." Bardock said impatiently.

"What are you talking about?" Prince Vegeta asked instantly more awake. He sprang from the bed and began to put on new armour. He threw a set at Kakarot. Kakarot wasn't really sure what to do about the royal crest on them but he didn't have time to worry about it.

"When you stand out if Frieza's army, one of two things can happen. The first and the least likely is that you get promoted, like the Ginyu Force. A small group of extremely powerful soldiers. But their power is limited due to their race, unlike the Sayians and each of them has a unique talent. Frieza has learnt that there is no limit to how powerful we can grow and that none of us have something another Sayian does not aside from varying power levels. We might have been a low level army when he acquired us, too low to even take on the middle assignments. But then we grew in strength and started to take on assignments we shouldn't even have access too." Bardock started to explain, speaking quickly in his haste, "He was fine with it, even amused by it when he saw that our arrogance, pride and love of a challenging fight led more to defeat then it did to victory. But when we started to stand out . . ."

"He's going to kill us." Prince Vegeta finished for him.

"A week ago my crew and I were on a base planet not far from here. Some of the other soldiers were whispering about Frieza's notice of our Planet and its success, mainly my crew's. Then when you two concurred Planet Argot barely a day ago, he got restless." Bardock continued.

Kakarot's heart was thumping loudly, almost drowning out his father's words. He was piecing it all together now. His father wanted to get them off the planet because Frieza was going to destroy it. How could he do that? All they'd done was serve him.

"I just came back from a different base planet. My crew and I had just purged Planet Kanasa. It was also a high level assignment. The moment we landed we were attacked. I was slower getting out of my pod since I was injured during the mission. I was able to escape because of it but my crew . . . were blasted while still getting out of their pods." Bardock finished with a tightening of his fists.

"What?! They killed everyone. What reason do they have?" Kakarot asked in outrage.  
>"They don't need one. It was Didoria, said Frieza ordered it personally. Now they're coming here so you two need to get off the Planet, before they're close enough to detect the ship leaving on their scanners." Bardock said angrily.<p>

"How do you know so much? Why are you concentrating on only us and not the entire planet. It's not too late." Prince Vegeta asked with narrowed eyes.

"Planet Kanasa was only so hard to concur because the inhabitant had a psychic ability. I was injured by one of them but not physically. They did something to my mind, changed it. He told me it was so that I too could see the destruction of my race but know I was unable to do anything about it. But I refuse to let that be true. You two will make it off this planet and you will avenge the fallen of our race!" Bardock yelled, his chest heaving, "I focus on you because this ability allows me to see that my efforts to warn the rest will be useless. I'm am doing the only thing that I can, working with the Sayians that are both strong enough to avenge our race in time and believe me enough to do as I say."

"Prince Vegeta I suggest we leave now. My father will not lie so we can do nothing but trust him." Kakarot said quietly. He was absorbing his father's words, coming to terms with the fact that his race was about to die and he was going to run away like a coward but he dared not say it because then the Prince would never leave.

"Think of it as a training adventure." Kakarot added with a sad smile.

"Fine, let's go." Prince Vegeta snapped heading to the door. Kakarot moved to follow when he remembered something. He could not leave that behind. "I'll meet you there." Kakarot said before darting out the door before they could stop him and running to his room.

He slid across the floor, already moving into a crouch so that he could reach under his bed and grab onto something he hadn't touched in over two years.

He pulled out the dust covered Sayian swords. These were fitting. They would be the weapons that destroyed Frieza and his men, he would personally see to it. He blew the dust off before tucking them under his arm and racing to the landing bay. Prince Vegeta was already seated in a pod while Bardock was half way poked inside messing around with the electronics.

"There, now the tracker is disabled." Bardock said smugly after straightening out of the pod with difficulty and pain clear in his eyes.

He looked back and saw Kakarot. He grabbed the boy by the armour and shoved the sixteen year old into the pod with the Prince. Kakarot was still slightly smaller than the Prince and he was now settled between the said Prince's legs. He felt his face go red.

"Frieza will overlook one pod with no one in it, but not two. Lower your power levels so that they can't be detected." Bardock ordered. The two nodded and Kakarot moved to place the swords against the side of the pod.

"That button will activate the sleeping gas. I've already placed in the co-ordinates. Good luck and you'd better kill that bastard." Bardock said with a small smile.

"Wait!" Kakarot yelled when the pod door began to close. Prince Vegeta wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back when he made a move to jump out. "What about you?!" Kakarot screamed after his father's retreating figure.

The door clamped shut and the small space became suffocating.

"Please tell me he's going to be alright, Prince?" Kakarot begged, holding back the tears. "He's going to be fine." Prince Vegeta murmured, pulling Kakarot closer to his chest. They both knew he was lying but neither wanted to say it.

* * *

><p>Bardock watched the pod take off into the sky. He scouter could detect nothing from it and hopefully Frieza would take it as a faulty launch.<p>

He thought the swords were a nice touch. It didn't matter where Kakarot had gotten them from because it would survive the eradication of the Sayian race.

"Good luck, my son." Bardock whispered before he spun around and began to run through the palace. He could only hope that the King was still in his personal office at this late hour. He didn't have much time left. He had to keep going, no matter the pain or the humiliation of disbelief, he had to keep trying till the very end.

* * *

><p>"Planet Kanasa was purged by Bardock's crew, sire." Didoria reported.<p>

"Zarbon, I revoke my previous decision." Frieza said thoughtfully, "I want them _all_ terminated. It's a shame we won't have any dogs to kick around any more but then again the galaxy is full of those." he mused more to himself.

"It's already begun, Milord. Bardock's crew was executed upon landing. Unfortunately Bardock managed to get away." Zarbon replied smoothly with just the right amount of regret and ignoring the last statement.

"Taking liberties aren't we Zarbon?" Frieza asked coldly.

"Milord?" Zarbon asked in confusion.

"I did not give the order to have Bardock and his crew executed." Frieza elaborated, his voice even icier.

"No, Milord but protocol dictates that they had to be removed. It's in the set of procedures you set up, Sire." Zarbon explained with a bow.

"Ah, I see. However you still managed to fail me at that. Must I do everything myself? Change course for Planet Vegeta."

* * *

><p>Kakarot could see out the tiny window of the pod but he looked at the site that had once fascinated him so with dull eyes. He didn't want to see the distance he was travelling from his home, knowing he could never go back.<p>

Prince Vegeta sighed before pressing the button that activated the sleeping gas. It filled the pod with a steady hiss and Kakarot took great lung fills of air, hoping that the more he breathed in the faster it would work.

But it wasn't fast enough. Even from the distance they were at they saw the bright reddish orange explosion that was once Planet Vegeta. Kakarot couldn't even cry out because at that moment the gas took over and he body fell asleep, but in his mind he could see that explosion as it played itself over and over again. He could only imagine what it must have been like for the Sayians, to see their deaths approaching and wondering why, knowing that there was nothing they could have done to save themselves.

* * *

><p>Both Sayians in the pod were shaken awake when they hit the atmosphere of the planet that was their destination. The re-entry was harsh, harsher than that of Planet Argot.<p>

Kakarot's teeth clashed together painfully as the turbulence grew. He really, really hated space travel.

Just as the pod smoothed out and the two started to relax they were jerked off to the side. "That felt like we were hit." Prince Vegeta tried to snapped through clenched teeth. He was probably right but Kakarot was feeling too sick to care. "Just let me out of here already." Kakarot muttered.

His wish was granted in the form of a rough landing. Apparently being hit didn't do well for a space pod's brain, or computer or whatever it was you called it, since the blasted thing had landed on its side.

Kakarot gasped in pain when he impacted with the side of the pod, hearing and feeling his arm break. Great, just great. Both Sayian's didn't move as they waited, adjusted to the sudden stillness.

The door tried to hiss open but got stuck. Prince Vegeta scowled before forcing himself through the tiny opening and rolling the pod over. Kakarot heard the cursing from inside the pod when the Prince burnt his palms after touching the hot metal. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

With his good arm he grabbed both the swords and darted out of the pod as well. Prince Vegeta was studying the dented side of the pod, muttering curses under his breath.

"If we were hit, we should get out of here before whoever fired the shot finds us." Kakarot stated, tightening his tail as his automatically searched out any nearby energy.

"Yeah, we need to look at your arm anyways." Prince Vegeta agreed before storming out of the crater. Kakarot followed behind him as the Prince led the way. So what happened now? Where were they and was it friendly? He couldn't imagine his father sending them somewhere potentially fatal, but someone had shot at them.

"Could you tell if it was technology or Ki that shot us down?" Kakarot asked being careful not to jostle his arm.

"Well since we didn't sense it coming I imagine it to be technology related." Prince Vegeta replied.

Kakarot wanted to smack himself for not realising that much himself. Then again, he knew from Frieza's army that some creatures couldn't be sensed. "This planet has weak inhabitants. Their average power is about that of a low class Sayian baby." Prince Vegeta informed him, "But there are a few standouts. Nothing over a thousand though."

Kakarot nodded, knowing that the Prince could see him from the corner of his eye.

They were walking up hill, moving steadily through trees and rocks. There were creatures all around them, darting away from them as they drew nearer. Kakarot did not want to think about all that had been lost with the destruction of their home.

He clenched his eyes shut and forced the pain away. His father hadn't saved him for him to just break down and cry like he was six years old again. He was a Sayian and he needed to start acting like it.

"Kakarot, over there." Prince Vegeta said, pausing and pointing to the entrance of a cave.

"It will work if there is nothing already occupying it." Kakarot replied with a small half-hearted smile. "There's no energy coming from it." Prince Vegeta said, having already assessed it. Prince Vegeta was so much more aware of the world around them, so much more prone to having to constantly watch his back. Kakarot was slowly succumbing to the pain of his broken arm.

"Hay Prince, how long did it take us to get here?" Kakarot asked suddenly aware that his arm was the only thing hurting.

"A while. A few months." Prince Vegeta replied picking his way towards the cave.

A few months. That's how long Planet Vegeta had been nothing more than space dust. "Oh and Kakarot, stop calling me Prince. I'm the Prince of nothing so stop it." Prince Vegeta ordered. He turned away again having paused to tell Kakarot that. He expected obedience, didn't think for a moment that he would be refused.

"No." Kakarot immediately replied, angry at his behaviour, causing the Prince to turn back to him in surprise, "You are the Prince of Sayians and I will address you as such. Don't think for a second that there are no Sayians because there are. At any given moment there are a large number of Sayians off world. There's Radditz and Prince Tarble and Zorn. So you have an empire. It's just a bit scattered right now." Kakarot said firmly.

"Oh please and you think Frieza wouldn't have thought of that. You think he wouldn't have sent his dogs to kill them all. The minute any one of them lands on one of Frieza's base planets they're dead." Prince Vegeta fumed.

"Sayians survive! Above all else, a Sayian must survive. If he can't do that, he's no Sayian at all." Kakarot yelled back.

"Then what are we doing here Kakarot? Running away like cowards!" Prince Vegeta yelled back.

"No!" Kakarot screamed, his rage and pain starting to make him irrational.

He breathed heavily as he tried to calm down, yelling at each other wasn't going to get them anywhere. Prince Vegeta seemed shocked at his outburst.

"We're not running away. We're getting stronger, strong enough to exact out revenge and then some. You hear me Prince?! We are going to kill that bastard even if it's the last thing we do!" Kakarot finally managed, his eyes blazing with determination. He was dead serious.

Prince Vegeta stared at him in silence for a moment, taking in his words until his eyes softened. They flickered to his arm and then back to the cave. "Let's get you sorted out." Prince Vegeta sighed, beginning to walk once again.

Kakarot followed feeling utterly drained and miserable but he'd meant what he'd said. He was going to train, he was going to get stronger. He would do it for his father, he needed to do it for his race.

* * *

><p>"Hold still Kakarot." Prince Vegeta snarled trying to pin the squirming Sayian down. Kakarot whimpered pathetically before tensing up so as to remain still.<p>

Prince Vegeta had a hold of him broken arm and was sitting on his abdomen in his attempt to keep the Sayian from wiggling away. Kakarot had removed the upper half of his armour so that they could see the bruised and swollen skin around the broken bone. They also discovered that it was poking at the skin, almost puncturing it. The Prince was going to have to realign the bone and that thought had the younger Sayian squirming.

"Come one Kakarot, we've done this before." Prince Vegeta said quietly, his hand hovering over the broken bone. Kakarot nodded but he was holding back tears.

An idea hit the Prince. He leaned in closer to the wide sparkling eyes and paused just above him. "Don't you trust me Kakarot?" he breathed, making his eyes half lidded and smouldering. Kakarot's breathing hitched and his eyes widened even more. He gulped as his body instinctively responded to the look on the Prince's face. He was squirming now for different reasons.

Prince Vegeta's smirk grew before he leaned in closer pressing his lips to Kakarot's. The younger Sayian resisted for a mere moment before melting into the kiss, letting the Prince take the lead.

He choked back a scream and pulled away when pain seared through the right side of his body. Prince Vegeta rested his elbows on Kakarot's chest and placed his chin in his hands. "That wasn't so bad now was it?" Kakarot glared at him in response. "Don't be like that Kakarot. I was rather enjoying myself before you pulled away." Prince Vegeta said teasingly and he had. The one thing he hadn't really been able to ignore was the fact that Kakarot had tasted like home.

"Get off." Kakarot grumbled and Prince Vegeta obliged, if only for the view of the other's back as he moved to replace his armour.

Prince Vegeta stood with a sigh. "Im going to go find us some food. You stay here." He said before shooting away from the cave. Kakarot snorted at the delusional Prince. As if. He walked out of the cave to go and find fire wood. If they were stuck here, they might as well get comfortable.

Later, both Sayians were curled together in front of the fire. The remains of some large animal that had been rather tasty sat at the mouth of the cave. Prince Vegeta curled over a snoring Kakarot, pulling the smaller Sayian closer to his chest. The one Sayian in the whole universe he truly could not live without and he'd managed to get stuck with him on a backwater planet with nowhere left to go. It seemed there truly was a God out there.

Neither of them had truly taken the time to process what had happened. Neither of them had taken a moment to realise that they were possibly be some of the last Sayians left alive. Their previous argument had been nothing but superficial. Their minds understood but their hearts had yet to grasp a hold of the true meaning.

Kakarot curled into a tighter ball and the Prince responded by tightening his hold. Tomorrow was another day, bringing new adventures. It was only a question of time.


	20. Chapter 20 Short and sweet

**Hello my awesome readers. For those who haven't guessed yet, our two favourite Sayians are now on Earth. Now . . .uhm . . . does anyone know Dragon Ball really well and wouldn't mind giving me a semi detailed summary. I only know bits and pieces of it. XD I feel so ashamed. All I really need to know are who were the main villains and who were their underlings as well as their aspirations that Goku so kindly destroyed for them. I know that Emperor Pilaf wanted to be the Emperor of the whole world with his two servants Shu and Mai. I know of the Red Ribbon Army but not much of them. I also know of King Piccolo but not much about him either other than he's half of Kami and the father/original of Piccolo. **

Chapter 20

Kakarot jerked awake, the bright yet hazy explosion from his dreams still burned at his retina. He looked to his left and noted that the Prince was still asleep. Outside the faint light of dawn crept slowly into the cave. He was comforted that at least the fire was still smouldering somewhat. This planet's temperature was far lower than that of Planet Vegeta.

Instantly he regretted the comparison. His chest felt crushed as the emotional pain struck. "Daddy." He whispered almost inaudibly to himself. Instead of dwelling on his pain, he looked to the Prince.

No one was going to be making their food for them anymore. He grit his teeth as he made up his mind. He loathed the thought of killing another creature but an animal was an animal, and mostly, as cruel as it was, they were food.

Quietly he used a twig from their left over kindling to scribble a note to the Prince in the sand should he wake before Kakarot got back. Then even more quietly he snuck from the cave to search for food.

His problem now become, what the heck on this planet was edible? Maybe he'd just get the meat for now then. That was safe at least. The plant stuff would have to wait till they could figure out a way to tell if it was poisonous or not.

The planet was different from his home in many ways. There was a lot more water, everywhere. He kept finding it. A little pool here or a river there. It was odd to see so much water is such magnitudes even if it was scattered across the land. The land itself was mushy, soft like the Brutaliana Forest, yet even then it was softer.

The sky was blue, so bright it hurt his eyes and everything was so green. The earth was several different shades in different areas. Back home everything was pretty much the same aside from large graphical shifts, like the sand in the Brutaliana forest had been black while in the Rikki Desert is had been a golden reddish colour. There wasn't much like that here.

It was louder here too. The animals called out their existence to the world with pride and joy rather than the challenging growls and hisses from the creatures on Planet Vegeta. It seemed that nature itself had been a warrior on that planet, but it didn't matter anymore, it was gone now. He clenched his eyes shut and shoved the thought away once more.

He also had to contend with the planet's lower gravity. Walking was so each he practically floated everywhere. He almost always put too much effort into everything with resulted in lost prey or over doing something as simple as walking. He smashed holes into the ground more often than not and came to the conclusion that he was very lucky he hadn't woken the Prince.

Kakarot decided that if he was going to catch anything he'd need to lower his power level. Lowering his power level meant that the throbbing in his arm would only grow worse but it was necessary. Distantly he wondered why he hadn't had this problem the previous night. His only conclusion was his disorientation and pain.

"Hay moron, if you plan to let me sleep, don't make so much noise."

Kakarot turned to see Prince Vegeta smirking down at him from a tree branch. "Sorry. I couldn't help it. This planet is weird." Kakarot replied quietly.

"You're going about it the wrong way. You're still thinking and acting as though we're on Planet Vegeta. Clearly we're not. This gravity is lower so we must apply that." Prince Vegeta replied hopping down with an ease Kakarot had been struggling to attain all morning.

"Show off." He muttered, his arm throbbing painfully.

The Prince sighed and grasped Kakarot's good wrist. "Go back to the cave, I'll get the food." He said softly.

"Just get meat, kay. We don't know what's poisonous around here." Kakarot warned with large eyes. That innocent look that he'd nearly lost. Prince Vegeta smiled a small tight smile and nodded once to pacify the flustered younger Sayian.

When the Prince got back he had with him two smallish creatures. Kakarot had already rekindled the fire and it was now crackling merrily. Kakarot himself was holding his damaged arm to his chest as he stared into the flames. His mind was far away, reflecting on things better left untouched.

"How long would it take to heal a broken bone without a tank?" Kakarot asked as the Prince began to skin the furry creatures he had killed. Kakarot's eyes had flared back to the present, no longer quite so distant.

"I'm not sure. Three weeks?" Prince Vegeta mused looking towards the ceiling as his thought it over.

"That's no good. We need to start training immediately." Kakarot groaned.

"You're arm needs to heal. If you don't let it then it won't set right and it could impair you in a fight. We don't need that." Prince Vegeta growled. If Kakarot couldn't fight properly, then he couldn't defend himself and against Frieza's dogs that wasn't something the Prince wished to think about.

Kakarot sighed, looking down. He knew the Prince was right. "Well then, perhaps we should take a look around. This Planet is odd but it does have a certain beauty to it." Kakarot mused.

Prince Vegeta made a distracted sound of agreement as he continued with his task. Kakarot smiled briefly as he studied the Prince. Who would have thought that he'd adjust to living in the wild so quickly? Then again, they had gone camping a fair few times. Kakarot couldn't help the twinge of anxiety when he realised that it was he that was supposed to be serving the Prince and not the other way around as it currently was.

"You know, I've been thinking." Prince Vegeta stated with a grunt, bringing Kakarot's attention back to himself, "To solve our problem with the poison we could always just study the natives. Their power level is low enough to assume that whatever they can eat, so can we. However, I think we should study the terrain first, get an idea of where we are and what's around us, like where water is."

Kakarot blinked once as he took in the suggestion. Studying the natives? Well it was something to do since his arm was busted meaning no training. It was also something to do other than to mull over their dark and depressing thoughts that both were barely keeping at bay. Studying the terrain wasn't so bad either. It would give him time to plan out training strategies.

"Ohkay, but can we eat first?" Kakarot asked with big eyes and pouting lips. "You're not the only hungry Sayian around here Kakarot." Prince Vegeta replied shaking his head, "I also think that it's a good opportunity to find who or what shot us."

Another good idea. Seemed the Prince was full of them. Or was it that he wanted to avoid thinking of the reality all around them just as much as Kakarot did, perhaps even more so?

Kakarot smacked his forehead in frustration. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it. . . . . . He was getting nowhere.

"Here let me help you." Kakarot said hurriedly, making his way over to the Prince just to get away from his own thoughts.

* * *

><p>"So where do you think we are?" Kakarot asked as he disentangled himself from a thorny bush.<p>

"I don't know but it has to be a planet inside Frieza's control but so far away that it took months, maybe a year to get here. Also it's has to be a planet not worth much if people are still living on it." Prince Vegeta mused.

"They could have paid to live here. I know Frieza does that too." Kakarot supplied.

Prince Vegeta's eyes narrowed at the suggestion before he smirked, "Well they certainly didn't fight off Frieza. They're too weak for that."

"Who knows, they might have technology like the Tuffles had. They did shoot us out of orbit." Kakarot replied with a grin.

Prince Vegeta snorted, "Suuuuure. They have technology powerful enough to shoot Frieza's ships slightly off course. They must be genius."

"Oh lay off. You're just making fun of me because you know I can't fight you right now." Kakarot pouted.

Prince Vegeta's eyes travelled to the arm they had wrapped tightly against Kakarot's chest so that minimal pain was caused. His lips thinned, his only sign of disapproval. Kakarot's eyes grew pained but neither said anything. Instead the Prince forged ahead, picking careful paths through the foliage.

Kakarot took it all in, the wisps of sunlight peeking through the deep green of the tree leaves, the glimpses of the strange blue of the sky. That blue made one feel so much smaller, freer. He knew instinctively that this planet was smaller than his home but somehow that sky made him feel like there was no limit. He could just keep going and going. Red was so solid, so final.

The ground was a harmony of browns and greens with splashes of colour. Plants, stones and other unknown substances crunched underfoot as they walked making them both wince at the noise they were making. It was going to take time to learn how to move silently through this terrain, but it was beautiful.

Even his nose was assaulted with an array of scents he couldn't even begin to identify. So many things at once. It was like Planet Vegeta but then it wasn't. The earth was damper, darker in places and lighter in others. That meant that different patches had a different yet similar scent. Every time they moved their feet, new smells floated up into the air. Every time the wind blew there was something different. Sayians were the ultimate warrior primate, sense honed in for the kill. A blessing yes, but also a curse. Kakarot personally did not want to have such a strong sense of smell. Not everything smelt interesting or nice.

Then there were the millions of creatures and critters. Unlike home though, these ones did not seem to attack you the moment they saw you. In fact they appeared to scamper away in fear. How odd. Could they be tamed and made friends of?

Kakarot had been so focused in his surroundings that he crashed into the Prince's back, painfully jolting his arm. However, he was wise enough not to make a noise. The Prince was on alert so that meant he's either seen or heard something.

Prince Vegeta moved quickly. He wrapped an arm around Kakarot's waist, pulling him close before jumping up the nearest tree. When his leap had reached its peak he grabbed onto the trunk of the tree, digging gloved fingers into the bark with comic ease. Kakarot winced and frowned at the sound of splintering wood but he did not protest, feeling the energy signals that did not belong making their way towards their spot in to the trees.

"Hay! Wait for me." A voice not yet in view yelled. The language wasn't what the Sayians usually spoke, it was the intergalactic planetary trading negotiations language. In other words, it was the universally understood and accepted language. That made things a lot easier.

A being came into view and both Sayians were shocked to note that it looked like a Sayian, mostly. The hair wasn't as wild and it wasn't black and there was no tail. The creature itself was pathetically weak. Even a baby could handle it. Judging on its structure, gait and voice both Sayians silently agreed that it was male. "Shut up. We're supposed to be finding whatever was in that craft. Do you want it to hear you?" The male snapped back.

His clothing was flimsy, unpractical for battle. He held a weapon in his hand, a metal one that he kept tapping against his shoulder. Ironically it had been that tapping that had alerted them the most to their approach. The hair the peaked out from under the cap he wore was a vibrant red in colour, fascinating Kakarot more than it did the Prince. On the cap was a red symbol with two white letters of some sort.

"I still don't think there was anything in there." A smaller, similarly dressed male grumbled walking hurriedly to try and catch up to their other.

"I didn't ask for your opinion. If you have a problem with being here then go complain to Colonel Silver. I'm sure he'd be happy to sort out your complaints." At the suggestion the second man paled. His mouth clamped shut and his face grew more serious. He didn't utter another word as the two passed out of view and eventually out of hearing range.

"I'd like to meet this Colonel Silver. He appears to have a reputation agreeable to my tastes." Prince Vegeta mused.

"Are we going to stop those two?" Kakarot asked with a frown, thinking of the unguarded swords in the cave.

"No. Their disappearance will only confirm the other's suspicions. Their race is an interesting one. I've never hear of a race that was similar in appearance to the Sayians. Too bad they don't live up to our reputation." Prince Vegeta replied letting go of the tree, allowing them both to fall back to the ground. The gravity on this planet really was something else.

Kakarot frowned down at the arm still wrapped around his waist. Now that the creatures of this planet had passed he was more aware of the Prince's presence, the closeness of it.

Prince Vegeta was something very familiar in a very strange world, a thing of comfort where all else was deeply out of sync. He was a right in a world of wrong. Without realising it Kakarot had leaned into the Prince's hold, breathing in the soothing scent that was home.

Prince Vegeta allowed him, let the younger Sayian snuggle closer to him. His heart was pounding something fierce but he wasn't sure why. He'd been this close to Kakarot before, but somehow this was different. He lifted his other arm and wrapped it around Kakarot, pulling the Sayian closer. Kakarot's eyes closed and a look of troubled peace, a look that only Kakarot could have descended upon his features. Prince Vegeta didn't like that look but it was just so Kakarot that he didn't try to sooth it away.

"Prince?" Kakarot whispered.

"Yes Kakarot."

"I miss home."

"Me too." The Prince tightened his hold.

Kakarot sniffed, his body shaking with the action. "But, I think that where ever you are, and as long as I'm with you, then I'm home."


	21. Chapter 21 Fun and games?

**Another shortish one. Well I just had to end it there. You'll see when you get there. In advance, sorry. XD **

**I didn't really want to upload this chapter just yet, not until I'd written a little more of the next chapter. Don't take it the wrong way my dear readers, I don't usually hold chapters before posting them but the ending of this one is well . . . . . Anyways, you'll understand when you get there. The internet has just been completely out of wack so I decided to upload the chapter while I could. Hopefully the next one will be soon to follow. **

Chapter 21

It had been two weeks since they had crashed on this unknown planet. Two weeks of nothing but surviving, exploring their surrounds and learning everything they could, seeking out anything that would give them an advantage.

At Kakarot's insistence the two had managed to build a cover for the entrance of the cave, protecting their now home. It hadn't been a quiet two weeks either. More men and even women but less so than the men, had searched through the area, trying to find something that refused to be found. The Sayians found it amusing to hide from the weak creatures of this world, enjoying the bickering.

They weren't always from the same origins though. Some of them had fought with each other and the Prince concluded it was over different leaderships. So on this world there were different clans. So far they had deduced three: Red Ribbon Army, King Piccolo and Emperor Pilaf. They had also deduced that Emperor Pilaf was the weakest of the three and that he was largely an amusement to the others, much like all three were an entertainment to the Sayians.

At the current moment the two were sitting inside the cave as the Prince checked Kakarot's arm. It was healing smoothly so far but it wasn't done yet.

"You know Prince, I've been thinking. If we want to study the natives and all shouldn't we get clothes that are more appropriate? We'll stand out in the armour." Kakarot mused

"Where the hell are we supposed to get that clown attire from anyways?" The Prince asked with a scoff.

"Well they do come here very often. If we knock two of them out then we could use their clothes." Kakarot offered.

"No thanks. Besides, wearing the uniform of one of clans attracts the attention of the others. Were you not paying attention?" Prince Vegeta replied.

"Alright then why don't we make cloaks or something out of the animal pelts? We have quite a few of them."

"We'd look like barbarian cavemen!" Prince Vegeta protested.

"Do you have a better idea?"

When the Prince looked away grumbling under his breath Kakarot smirked in victory but the Prince was right. They would look out of place with the pelts. They had no other option for now.

* * *

><p>"Ohkay, so where's the nearest gathering of Ki?" Prince Vegeta asked, closing his eyes just as Kakarot was about to.<p>

"That way!" The both yelled together pointing in opposite directions.

"Fine, we'll go your way." The Prince conceded, hovering into the air.

"Do you think they can sense Ki?" Kakarot asked hovering up to the Prince's level.

"I don't think so but there are those stand outs. Maybe they can." Prince Vegeta replied rising further up to get clear of the trees.

Just to be cautious the two flew low and at a slower pace than what was comfortable. Now that the trees were not obstructing the view of the sky, Kakarot felt even smaller, yet even freer than before. Blue really was a nice colour.

Tucked under Kakarot's good arm were the modified animal pelts. They had shaped them into something that resembled a cloak the previous evening. Kakarot and the Prince had been very amused they each other's attempts yet both had been pleasantly surprised by the results.

Prince Vegeta began to lower to the floor, choosing an area that provided plenty of cover. Kakarot had been able to see their destination in the distance and was actually getting very excited.

"Now would be a good time to put on those barbaric outfits." Prince Vegeta suggested shaking his head.

Kakarot smirked before handing him his cloak and putting his own in. He still instinctively kept his healing arm close to his chest but he did put it through the impromptu sleeves he had made.

"They don't look that bad." Kakarot commented moving this way and that in his spotted fur coat. The Prince watched him with a gleam of something feral in his gaze. He shook his head to rid it of the sudden thoughts that sprang to live. Not now.

The both hovered back into the air, intent on getting closer before heading towards the settlement on foot. Would they even learn something? It was doubtful but they had the time so long as Kakarot's arm was healing. They really did need to get something else other than meat to eat. It was starting to take its toll.

"Do you think they have nice food or really weird food?" Kakarot asked with a grin.

"What's the difference, food is food." Prince Vegeta replied rolling his eyes.

"Hahaha yeah I suppose."

When their boots touched the ground they automatically lowered their power level and tightened their tails. They didn't know what they were getting into so it was best to take precautions.

The settlement itself looked nice enough but it didn't look like it would withstand even a mediocre attack. More of the weak beings from before, only without the uniforms were walking, running or just standing in various places. They were younger and older alike, even different colours. How strange. Their clothing offered no protection and their power levels were something to be laughed at. No, these people did not fight off Frieza. Perhaps this was a planet still to be dealt with.

"So now what?" Kakarot asked looking to the Prince automatically.

"We find food." Prince Vegeta stated, walking further into the settlement. The Prince did not miss the curious glances nor the distrustful ones. Kakarot was too engrossed in the new surroundings and discoveries to even notice. It amazed Prince Vegeta to no end how that Sayian could be completely observant and oblivious at the same time. How he did it was a mystery to even the Gods, of that the Prince was sure.

"Hay look! Over there." Kakarot exclaimed in excitement. The two Sayians had reached a part of the settlement where more of the other beings had gathered. The place reminded the Prince of a place where one could come to obtain food and objects. It seemed that was the purpose of this place.

They walked down the street, attracting attention but not caring really. Kakarot watched the bright colours and variety of food presented, a look of hunger and longing in his eyes. The Prince however watched as the beings carefully weighed the food they picked, each one meant to be of greater value than the last they picked. Then when grudgingly satisfied they handed over metal discs to the keepers of the stalls.

Currency. He'd heard the term vaguely from one of the Sayians that had gone off world often. Some planets used a system of rank to organise the flow of goods, such as Planet Vegeta. Others used a materialistic system where those that were at the bottom today might not stay at the bottom tomorrow due to the imbalance of loss and gain. Some might call it a balance but the way the Prince saw it . . . . . well it was just plain stupidity. Placing so much value on something so useless. He could melt those coins with barely any Ki at all.

But, this did present a problem for them. Where were they going to get such a trivial yet vital thing? On the other hand, they could by pass such absurdity. They were fast enough to take the food without even being noticed.

Kakarot, would never agree.

Prince Vegeta sighed deeply, a sigh that Kakarot did not notice. "Kakarot, let's play a game."

"A game? Cool. What kind of game?" Kakarot asked, eager to play and eager to please the Prince.

"This race is quite slow, so they won't notice if you take the food as fast as we can. That in itself won't be much fun, but you can't use your Ki, and you can only take one at a time." Prince Vegeta explained carefully.

"So where so we put them after we get them?" Kakarot asked. Prince Vegeta frowned. He hadn't thought of that.

"Ohkay, change of plans. We'll work as a team, grabbing and tossing food to each other and then we'll hurry back to the place we entered from and leave the food there. When we have enough we'll use these blasted cloaks to carry the food back to the cave." Prince Vegeta improvised with a nod.

Kakarot was silent as he thought it over. Slowly his eyes grew clearer, alerting the Prince that he was getting to a decision.

"Ohkay, let's do it but we're taking turns going back and forth. You first." Kakarot replied with a grin before phasing out of sight. The Prince barely caught the first object of food that was thrown at him. Man Kakarot was eager. He could hear Kakarot more than what he could see the younger Sayian who was giggling with every near miss on the Prince's part. Kakarot was really fast, it was the one thing he excelled at above the Prince other than battle strategy, but his arm limited his movements.

The Prince whistled when he had enough and the semi invisible food stopped coming. The beings of this planet were so weak they hadn't even noticed the two Sayians dodging and weaving around them as they played their 'game'. Unknown to the Sayians was that someone had noticed them and that someone wasn't about to let it go either.

Kakarot stood waiting for the Prince to return with his hands behind his head staring at the clouds and the blue sky. It was still so new to him. The position strained his arm somewhat but not unbearably so, in fact it was helping him to get a feel of the injury. He was careful to keep the animal skin covering his armour. It would be rather annoying if they were discovered now.

"Hay Kid." Kakarot did not turn, not thinking that he was being called. He jumped a mile however when a hand was clamped onto his shoulder and he was forcibly spun around. He instinctively curled his broken arm into the protection of his body, keeping it close but not obviously so. He did not want to display a weakness.

Kakarot found himself staring at a man with scars on his face and bright orange clothes. Really bright. His hair could almost be called Sayian worthy too.

"You think you're smart huh." It was a rhetorical question. Kakarot stared at him in confusion. He wasn't sure what to do. The being in front of him had a power level higher than any of the others the Sayians had encountered but it was still painfully low. That exalted power level meant one of two things, he was an exception among his kind, a freak if you wanted to be mean about it. Or it meant that he was a warrior and would not take kindly to being carelessly brushed aside.

"Yay, I'm talking to you. Can you at least look like you understand what I'm saying." The being continued loudly, shaking Kakarot.

"Let him go." A dangerous growl and a deep command that could only come from one person.

"Oh so one of you talks after all." But the hand was dropped no matter how acidly the statement had been stated. Kakarot may not know what was going on but he did know that these two had something going. It could have been a male something or it could be that the Prince knew something that Kakarot did not. Either way, he was a lot safer standing with the Prince. He inched his way away from the being and towards the Prince.

"Don't mind Kakarot, he never shuts up once you get him started. He was just trying to decide what to do with you." Prince Vegeta smirked arrogantly which only seemed to enrage the being even more.

"Yamcha?" The questioned call came from behind them and they turned to see a little bald being in the same bright orange making his way over to them, "Are these those two guys you were talking about?"

"Jip. That one's got a real attitude." 'Yamcha' stated nodding at the Prince.

"Kakarot, if it comes down to a fight you take baldy and I'll take scarface." Prince Vegeta whispered to him in the language of the Sayians.

"Is it really necessary for both of us to waste our time?" Kakarot asked blandly.

"You know what my father said, even the weakest opponent can kill you if you lose focus." Prince Vegeta reminded sternly.

Kakarot just nodded. 'Yamcha' was looking at them with anger and perhaps hatred. Did he dislike outsiders that much?

"You guys are fast I'll give you that but you aren't very powerful." 'Yamcha' said getting into a crouch. Without warning he sprang at Kakarot but the Prince stepped in front of his attack. The bald one took the cue and sprang at Kakarot, half expecting the Prince to block his attack too but pleased when he didn't.

Kakarot actually laughed as he dodged the slow attacks. Their technique was different and interesting but it was frustrating to watch it when it was being used on an opponent that was too strong to show what it could truly do. He was careful to keep his injured arm out of the fight.

The Prince was having an even better time, toying with 'Yamcha' as he dodged the enraged attacks. He laughed cruelly at the being as he failed to hit the Prince again and again.

"Stand still so I can hit you already!" 'Yamcha' yelled in complete anger and frustration, which only made the Prince laugh more, "I'll teach you to steal from good people."

Kakarot stopped for only a moment. What was stealing? It was a moment too long as the bald guy saw the opening and attacked. He'd also seen Kakarot's weakness.

Kakarot cried out in pain as his nearly healed arm was shattered. He flew backwards, his power level having been low so as not to attract attention. He hadn't even had a guard up. How careless.

Kakarot could stop the shout of pain as he landed on the ground. Prince Vegeta's anger flared, his heart racing as he felt the uncontrollable urge to protect Kakarot. With a snarl of anger he struck out at 'Yamcha', no longer content to just dodge poor and pathetic attacks. The idiot couldn't even see the punch coming but he sure felt it as he too sailed through the air.

The bald guy was staring in shock at Kakarot who was clutching his arm, his eyes clenched shut tightly as he tried to bite back the screams but small whimpers still escaped. Kakarot's entire body was tense. The Prince cringed at the thought that something might actually be drastically wrong this time. He was far too used to the tanks. Any problem was immediately fixed but he'd heard stories of the days before they had tanks. Fighters were destroyed simply because a careless move led to a crushed bone that could never mend properly again. They could never fight again.

Would that be Kakarot?

"Look at me." Prince Vegeta ordered grasping either side of the younger Sayian's head and forcing him to face the Prince. His movements were forced due to the tension in his body.

"Raise your power level. It'll help the pain." Prince Vegeta whispered when Kakarot's unfocused eyes locked with his.

Kakarot's power level wobbled before suddenly soaring higher. The ground shook as the energy rocketed higher. Kakarot's dazed eyes closed again before he started to yell, to yell out his anger and pain, his hopelessness that he could never voice, pain of losing his home and family, his frustration at his weakness, his confusion . . . . . everything was all too much. His power continued to missile higher and higher. At this rate they were going to attract unwanted attention as well as bring the whole place down.

"Kakarot! You have to bring it under control again." Prince Vegeta said sharply, a hint of desperation in his voice. This wasn't something he knew how to deal with. He was completely out of his element.

The rocketing power came to a dead stop at the level it was at, the sudden silence making the Prince's ears ring, before it was dropping just as drastically to a level even lower than what it had been before. Something definitely wasn't right with Kakarot. Prince Vegeta could only watch as those dazed eyes slowly slid shut once again and Kakarot passed out.

What was he going to do now?


	22. Chapter 22 Lunar influences

**Ohkay in this chapter the Z warriors and our loveable lady in blue are seriously OOC but that's for a reason, so don't panic. Thanks for all the awesome reviews. XD**

Chapter 22

"Hay man, is your friend ohkay? I didn't mean to hit him that hard." The bald one asked hesitantly as he inched towards the Sayians. Yamcha was only now getting to his feet. He looked utterly confused, idiotic.

Prince Vegeta snarled when the bald one made a move to put his hand on the Prince's shoulder. "Don't. Touch. Me." He spat out slowly. Each word a venomous dagger. "The only reason why you're not dead yet is because my desire to protect him is greater than my need to destroy you, but only slightly. Don't push me." Prince Vegeta warned lowly.

As gently as he could he lifted Kakarot from the ground before taking off into the air, heading straight for the cave. The food would have to wait for another day. He'd gotten a good enough look to know what was poisonous and what wasn't. He was confident that if push came to shove he could find some in the tress around their cave.

He scoffed when the two beings they had been fighting tried to follow. He only flew faster. Kakarot was clinging to him, even in his unconscious state, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. The Prince's anger at this planet, hell their very situation only grew tenfold. He was a Prince! He should not have to be subjected to this . . . . . Nor should Kakarot.

* * *

><p>It had been two days since the bald idiot had shattered, completely shattered Kakarot's arm. Kakarot was still out, muttering and mumbling as he slept. He had a fever, one that no matter what the Prince tried, simply would not break.<p>

The Prince himself was exhausted. He hadn't slept the entire time and was close to falling asleep where he sat. He hadn't eaten anything either and it was starting to take its toll. He knew that the situation was getting hopelessly desperate, knew that he had to do something, but he didn't know what to do. Keeping cool was Kakarot's job.

He was exhausted but every time he slipped into unconsciousness, Kakarot would whimper or moan causing the Prince to jerk awake. He needed sleep, he needed food but mostly, he needed help.

Prince Vegeta checked Kakarot's forehead but the younger Sayian's temperature was still way too high. With a frown the Prince lifted Kakarot from the makeshift bed of animal furs. He had to keep Kakarot's temperature down as well as keep him hydrated. He knew that much but much more than that he was at a loss.

He was careful to conceal the entrance to the cave, knowing that this was important to Kakarot before slowly flying to small stream. He was exhausted but he couldn't stop now. Not when Kakarot needed him.

He lowered the sleeping Sayian to a soft grassy patch before cupping some water in his hands and pouring as much of it as he could into the younger's mouth. "Please Kakarot, you can't leave me now." Prince Vegeta begged softly. He couldn't bear it if he was left alone on this planet.

In desperation he lifted Kakarot again before wading into the stream and lowering him into the water. He still kept a hold of the other but he was hoping the cool water would help with the fever.

He wasn't sure if his mind was deceiving him or not, but it seemed that Kakarot was actually breathing a little easier. With a weary sigh he lowered himself into the water, careful to keep Kakarot above the water line. He himself was freezing but if it helped then he would bear it. How long would he stay here? As long as it took.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta jerked awake. His heart was racing, his brain utterly confused as he took in his surroundings. Heat, and soft fluffiness. He was too warm and relaxed. Something was wrong, very wrong. Where was he?<p>

He was in a bed, in a room of some sort. He sprang out of the bed, instantly alert. His armour was gone, replaced by some thin material that wouldn't protect him from the cold never mind an attack. He felt precariously exposed without his armour. Every second that raced by only made his panic grow. So he did the only thing he could think of, find Kakarot.

He raced out of the room, searching as far as his senses would spread to find the one thing that he needed right now. The place he was being held was a maze of confusing colours and objects that he barely took in as he hurried from one corridor to the next, trying to find the other Sayian.

He crashed through a door, not caring that he had broken the flimsy thing. What kind of captors were they? No guards, no locks and no restraints. Were they asking to die? He could certainly arrange that. Maybe they didn't understand the strength of a Sayian.

Not now though. He'd found Kakarot, lying in a bed looking peaceful. Peaceful? His eyes weren't scrunched up in pain and terror. He wasn't whimpering or moaning. He was just sleeping. Slowly, almost as if he wasn't sure that what he was seeing was real, the Prince inched over to Kakarot. He touched Kakarot's forehead gently, missing the familiar strain of his gloves but ignoring it. No fever.

Ohkay, now that he'd found Kakarot and made sure he was alive and well, too well in fact, he had to find out where they were.

"Kakarot." Prince Vegeta hissed. The younger Sayian didn't even stir. Prince Vegeta poked him. If the Sayian was fine then he was fine enough to get out of there. "Kakarot!" The Prince said a little louder, not willing to alert their captors to his lucid state, forgetting about his noisy search.

"He won't wake up."

Prince Vegeta spun around, his hand glowing with a ready Ki ball. His eyes met wide, deep blue ones. Sad ones.

"What did you do to him?" One question among many but the one most important to him.

"Fixed him, healed him. His arm was pretty badly broken. Krillen is really sorry about that by the way. He didn't know that his punch would be strong enough to shatter the bone so completely." Blue hair, that's what caught the Prince's attention the most. Long, silky locks of the brightest blue. However, her words were not lost on him. "His arm was already broken before the fight began. He should not have let down his guard." The Prince snapped despite his better judgement to just kill the woman, take Kakarot and leave.

"You shouldn't have been stealing." She snapped back. The Prince had offended her.

"I don't have time to argue with you. I have better things to do than waste my time explaining to a wench the schematics of Royalty. How could _you_ understand that I have never had to pay for anything in my life and shouldn't have to even if I had that imbecilic thing you refer to as currency?" Prince Vegeta said hotly before walking back to Kakarot intending to leave.

"I don't care if you're royalty or not. Around here you don't steal and expect to get away with it. And I'll have you know that I'm not some wench. I am Bulma Briefs, owner and president of Capsule Corporation."

"You say that like it's supposed to mean something to me." Prince Vegeta replied blandly.

"We're trying to help you, you arrogant jerk." She yelled, her blue eyes looking suspiciously clearer, shiny even. She had gotten very worked up and the Price paused, taking in the emotions on her face. He hadn't seen them before. He wanted to know what they were but that was Kakarot's department.

"I wouldn't need your help if you hadn't hurt Kakarot in the first place." He said quietly, knowing that it was a low blow even for him. He turned away from her shocked and hurt expression, he knew _those_ emotions very well.

Instead he stared down at Kakarot wondering about her earlier words. "Where are you Kakarot? I need you." He whispered more to himself than the sleeping Sayian.

"Is everything alright Bulma?" The question was hurried, breathless. The voice was that of that annoying fool that had interfered earlier. Without turning to face the idiot the Prince's fists tightened. He would not turn, knowing that he just might kill the fool.

As it was Kakarot's peaceful expression had changed to one of pain. Was he dreaming about home again? Kakarot hadn't spoken to him about the nightmares that plagued his sleep but the Prince knew him too well to miss them. He felt utterly helpless with every whimper and moan of absolute heartbreak. Would he ever be able to fix the shattered pieces of Kakarot's heart?

He had just gotten the Kakarot he had been so fascinated and enthralled with back. Now Kakarot was gone again, locked away by the pain of losing his home so suddenly. When had he become so dependent on those innocent expressions, those happy giggles? Hell, even the annoying chatter that never ceased.

"What's wrong with him?" Prince Vegeta asked, his voice sounding strained.

"We don't know. It's hard to tell since I'm assuming you two aren't human but as far as we can tell it's not like he can't wake up, it's more like he doesn't want to."

Somewhere in his musings the other idiot had left. Perhaps the woman, Bulma, had managed to convince him to leave. Better for his safety.

He looked at the sleeping Sayian, his chest tightening when he saw that expression twist further. "I don't think there's much we can do other than wait. Are you hungry? The guys said they found you in a river. You were exhausted when they brought you in here and you've been sleeping for a whole day." Bulma asked as well as explained.

She'd mentioned food and his stomach reminded him rather violently that yes, he was hungry. Bulma smiled when she heard the growl before taking his hand and leading him out the room. He followed but only because of the promise of food.

"Where am I?" Prince Vegeta asked as they walked, pulling his hand out of her grasp.

"At my house." She replied distantly.

"No, I meant what Planet is this?" Prince Vegeta said impatiently. "Hmmm, so you're not human. Well I suppose those tails were a dead giveaway. Well this is Planet Earth and you, I'm assuming came in that UFO that was shot down a few weeks ago." Bulma replied with excitement. So this topic interested her.

Planet Earth. Wasn't something that he could recall. Didn't even sound familiar at all. Then again he hadn't been a soldier. He'd been a Prince tasked with the defeat of Frieza.

"So, where are you two from? You look like us apart from the tails and that really wicked hair." Bulma asked when she figured the Prince wasn't going to comment.

"Nowhere." The Prince replied in a gruff tone. He did not want to talk about it, especially not to her. Heck he hadn't even spoken to Kakarot about it and that . . . that just might be the problem.

"Fine, I'll let it slide for now mister but I will get it out of you." Bulma replied with a knowing smirk, "So how old are you?"

Prince Vegeta frowned at the question. How old was he? "Probably twenty-three." He replied with more certainty than he felt. It was hard to know for sure since he'd been in the pod for so long. That meant that Kakarot was eighteen. Interesting. Did that mean his innocence wasn't going to last forever? It was hard to know for certain with all the stuff that kept happening. Did Kakarot have a sense of sexuality yet? Instantly his body and mind reacted to that thought and he quickly shoved the images aside. He did not need the reaction that would accompany those images at the moment.

The woman had been talking but he hadn't been listening. He wasn't about to start now. He'd be tuning in on the middle of the topic and that was annoying.

"Hay, are you even listening to me?" she asked loudly, breaking into the walls of ignorance the Prince had erected.

"No."

"You are so rude. Well anyways, here we are." She announced shaking her head. She led him into a large room with plenty of tables and chairs, reminding the Prince of the rec centres back on Planet Vegeta.

His senses immediately picked up on a few Ki signals that were higher than the average beings on this planet. "These are the Z Warriors. You've already met Yamcha and Krillen." Bulma introduced.

Prince Vegeta eyed the beings, humans as the woman had referred to them as earlier, in the room with as much contempt as they were eyeing him with. There was the short little baldy and the tall idiot who didn't know when he was beat. There was a short little old man eyeing him with curiosity rather than contempt. Then there was an old man wearing some sort of protective eye gear with weird armour on his back and a fat man with a sword.

Shit, the swords were back at the cave. Kakarot was going to kill him. They should be safe. They'd just have to go back and get them when the idiot woke up.

Standing in a corner, far apart from the rest of the group, was another female. She was glaring at the Prince like he'd personally insulted her by simply breathing. Her appearance was similar to that of a Sayian's but her hair was better behaved and she had no tail. She was one not to be taken lightly.

"Hay the food is this way." The Prince looked at Bulma again, still fascinated with that blue hair. He'd seen some interesting beings when it came to the soldiers in Frieza's army but he'd never met a species so close to his own.

"Oh my, aren't you a handsome one." The Prince's ears rang painfully at the enthusiastically proclaimed statement. He found himself going bright red as a petite woman with yellow bushy hair grabbed his cheek and pinched it. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He'd never, in all his life, been treated as such. He knew he was blushing from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes and still he wasn't quite sure what to do about the tiny weak little human fussing over him.

"Mother! Leave our guest alone." Bulma quickly ushered the unnaturally happy woman over to some pot plants. The Prince stared after her feeling utterly perplexed. Kakarot would like her that was for sure.

"Sorry about that, she's a very extroverted type of person." Bulma apologised quickly as though she had been the one that had caused the offense. The Prince realised that humans were very self-conscious creatures. He smirked. This could work to his advantage.

BUT that could have to wait for later as the woman had mentioned food. He hoped she had enough. He was starving. She poked her head into a cold closet and started mentioning names of dishes. The Prince just nodded, not really caring what it was only if it was edible.

Bulma and the other humans could only stare in shock as the Prince practically breathed the food into his mouth. He hadn't eaten in days and now that he thought about it the sensation was close to death. He barely even tasted what he ate but he didn't miss the deliciousness of the strange dishes. The only problem might be the tiny helpings they served everything in.

"What?" he asked after balancing the last plate on an already precarious stack. "D-d-do you always eat like that?" Bulma managed to stutter out.

The Prince frowned. He did remember some of Frieza's soldiers making remarks about their unusual eating habits. It wasn't so much what they ate, most the time, but more to do with the amount they consumed and the rate they consumed it at. "Yes." He replied remembering that the woman had asked a question, "Kakarot's worse, and his manners are terrible. No restraint what so ever."

"That was restraint?" The whisper was from the bald one to Yamcha but it wasn't meant to be heard by him so he didn't comment.

"Is it night time or day time?" The Prince suddenly asked, the question blurted before he even knew why he was asking.

"It's about an hour and a half after sunset, why?" Bulma replied.

That's when he consciously felt it. Now that he was focusing, he could feel the tug, the lure. He blinked before sucking in a sharp breath. This could get painful. "Do you have full moons on this planet?"

"Yes, in fact there's going to be a lovely one tonight." The blonde haired woman answered with an even bigger smile.

The Prince jerked away from the table he had been seated at. He grabbed Bulma by the front of her shirt, not meaning to be so rough but running out of time.

"Do you have underground rooms?" he asked urgently. She was staring at him with wide eyes and the others were getting into guarded, ready stances. They should have been doing that from the start. "Hurry woman, there isn't much time." He said on a wince as another tug pulled at his body.

"Yes." She'd barely finished the syllable before he was racing out the room, faster than before and straight back to Kakarot. He didn't even pause as he scooped up the younger Sayian and raced back to the woman.

"You have to take us there now!" He stated with as much urgency as he could, struggling not to fall to his knees as another tug made his body go weak.

By some miracle she sensed the urgency in his tone, realised that he was desperate and started to run. He had no choice but to follow. He couldn't even run as fast as before since his body barely wanted to co-operate with him. His instincts screamed at him to go the other way, but he knew that he couldn't. Not this time.

The tugs got less the further downhill they got but that didn't mean they were any less dangerous. He knew his tail was no longer around his waist but that didn't matter. Not right now.

Bulma stopped, pulled out a card and swiped it before punching some buttons. A door slid open and she moved aside to let them pass.

"Whatever happens, whatever you hear, don't open that door till the sun rises." Prince Vegeta warned. "Oh and could you bring some food, you know in case he wakes up." He added as an afterthought as he walked into the room. She nodded, her expression slightly dazed before the door slid closed.

It looked like a normal room. It even had a double bed. With a sigh Prince Vegeta placed Kakarot on the bed. "You owe me big time Kakarot." He sat down on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed. He closed his eyes and tried his best not to think about what he could be doing right now. That was just too painful He could still feel it, the urge to go outside. It was a strong moon but not as strong as the one on Planet Vegeta. That moon couldn't be resisted. You didn't have to question if there was one or not, you knew. He'd only had the pleasure of two Oozaru transformations on Planet Vegeta and his third would have been coming up soon. While Kakarot's Blitz wave technique was useful it just wasn't the same.

There was a beep and the door slid open. Bulma walked in followed by Krillen and Yamcha. All three were balancing plates. They carefully balanced it and stacked the plates and tubs on a desk against one wall.

"Are you going to be ohkay?" Bulma asked him softly, sounding far too close.

Prince Vegeta opened his eyes immediately closing them again when she backed up in fear. His eyes were probably bright red. That was always the first thing to change anyways. If he didn't get this under control he just might lose it enough to actually go outside.

"I'm fine." He said softly. He wanted her gone because that meant the door would be closed. As it was he knew it was open and that posed an interesting dilemma. He could make a dash for it before any of them could stop him. "You should go."

He was mildly surprised when they all left without a word. Perhaps the eyes were more effective than what he had originally thought.

He couldn't tell how much time was passing, only that it was. He couldn't even tell how fast it was going since all that consumed his thoughts was fighting, fighting the urge to leave the room, to give in to the pounding throb that had taken hold of his entire body. He wanted it to end but he didn't want to destroy these people. He tried to tell himself that it was only because it would draw unnecessary attention to themselves . . . but he knew it was more than that.

So instead he sat, arms wrapped around his knees and waited for this never ending pain to end. It grew with every moment, driving him slowly insane. He'd never resisted a transformation before. He'd never needed to. How much more could he take?

He's thought he'd known pain. He'd lived it his whole life, but this, this was on a whole different level. He wasn't sure whether the pain was attacking his mind or if it was a physical thing. A tiny voice whispered what was the difference.

He needed an escape, he needed relief.

With a snarl he sprang to his feet, intent on breaking down the door and giving in. Freedom his only thought. Relief his only desire.

A hand grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the door. He growled in warning, not caring who it was. In reply he found himself slammed against a wall. He struck out blindly, furious at the fool that dared to interfere.

His fist didn't connect to anything and he only got angrier.

He yelped in surprise when he was once again yanked around like a rag doll. A warning growl in his ear made his muscles tighten. A challenge. He accepted.

However, he was pressed against the wall again, hot breath on his neck, panting more than breathing. The Prince struggled but it was useless. How was that possible? His hands were grasped and pulled away from his sides before being forced to wrap around his waist, like he was hugging himself, only the other hands did not move away. They held him tightly but not uncomfortably so. It was more like he was being held together, clung to as much as he was clinging.  
>"Kakarot, please." Prince Vegeta gasped.<p>

"Shhh, it'll be ohkay." The whispered replied rolled over his skin, making the fine hairs tickle. He shivered despite his best efforts not to.

"I have to . . . I n-need to."

"I know. Believe me, I know. You feel trapped, confined, on the brink of something far greater than what you are. Your body screams for release from the pain of this imprisonment, you mind tortured with cruel scent of liberty that can never truly be yours . . . but you have to fight it." Kakarot replied, the pain in his own voice, the strain, becoming all too evident. A whine escaped the Prince. It was too much. He'd waited too long.

Hot breath moved along his neck before a tongue, hotter than his own body temperature ran lightly along his shoulder causing the Prince to freeze.

When Kakarot reached the end of the Prince's shoulder he retreated, tracing the path backwards until he came to the bend between shoulder and neck. He bit down, only just nipping the skin but it was enough to make the Prince whine for entirely different reasons.

"What are you doing?" Prince Vegeta gasped out.

"Distracting you." Came the chuckled reply, the breathless statement coming out in huffs, "Does it bother you?" Kakarot asked just before his tail twined with the Prince's, caressing and moving with it as though it were an extension of the Prince himself.

Kakarot's arms loosened when the Prince leaned more into his hold. The Prince immediately spun around grabbing Kakarot's chin and fusing their lips together. "If you're going to distract me, you'd better do it properly." Prince Vegeta advised, breathing the words against Kakarot's lips.

Kakarot hummed his agreement, letting the Prince lead the kiss into something deeper. Timidly he met the Prince's tongue with his own, not feeling quite as bold as when he had decided to initiate this. Was the Prince even in the right frame of mind? Did he actually want this or was this only the lust and lure of the full moon? With that being said, did Kakarot want this?

"Hay, is that food?" Kakarot said enthusiastically when he caught sight of the plates from the corner of his eye, immediately ripping away from the kiss. Prince Vegeta groaned but let Kakarot go all the same.

Kakarot grinned before leaping towards the plates and starting to consume the food at a rate that really killed the already wounded mood. "I'll share." Kakarot offered, holding out a plate when he noticed the Prince watching him.

Prince Vegeta might want other things that Kakarot had been offering only mere moments ago but food was always a given.

"What makes you think it was for you in the first place?" Prince Vegeta asked with a smirk sitting down and taking the plate. His smirk widened when Kakarot's face fell. "Relax, it was." Prince Vegeta quickly assured the younger Sayian.

Kakarot glared at him for only a second before continuing at the reckless pace from before. "So how much longer do you think it'll be?" Kakarot asked around a mouthful of food.

Prince Vegeta scowled. He didn't know but it was going to be a whole lot longer for him if Kakarot decided to tease him every time he moved. His body was high strung enough. So instead he shrugged and continued to eat whatever it was he had picked up.

"I'm sorry." Kakarot said softly after a particularly long silence. Prince Vegeta looked up at him in confusion. "For bailing out on you. See, I just didn't know if this," Kakarot made a gesture with his hand that was meant to mean the both of them, "Was because we wanted to or because of the full moon."

Prince Vegeta smirked. Jip that was Kakarot alright. Still, now that he thought about it, Kakarot had started it. So maybe he did have a sense of sexuality. Things could get interesting. Now that he could actively push Kakarot, it was bound to get intense.

"Kakarot, I've wanted this," he repeated the gesture, "For a long time now. I was just waiting for you to grow up."

Kakarot looked at him thoughtfully. What was going through his head right now? It was hard to tell, even with how well the Prince knew him. This wasn't something they'd spoken about before. "But anyways, you're right. We shouldn't get into that on a full moon. Want to talk about the nightmares?"

From Kakarot's sour expression the Prince knew that the previous mood was definitely dead now. It could've been maybe revived from a tiny smoulder to a roaring fire in no time but . . . not now.

Kakarot pushed the half eaten food away. That was a sure sign that it wasn't good. Prince Vegeta got up and moved closer to Kakarot, pulling the younger Sayian to his chest and simply holding him.

It started with a hiccup. The Prince knew from experience that Kakarot needed to cry first. After that then it was like he was lighter, could speak more freely, even if what was on his mind wasn't any more terrible than some older Sayians pushing around a younger and weaker one. Something so commonplace that most, if not all, didn't even see it. Kakarot did and even though it appeared simple and meaningless, Kakarot just caring too much, Prince Vegeta knew how much deeper it really was. It reminded Kakarot of his own past, before he actually put effort into his training.

But Kakarot hid it well, hardly ever slipping up. Prince Vegeta kept what he knew to himself and waited for when or if Kakarot would come to him, lean on him if he needed. He probably didn't because he figured that the Prince would solve the problem with violence but he underestimated the amount of influence he held over the Prince.

"You must think I'm pathetic crying like this." Kakarot hiccupped.

"Jip." Prince Vegeta replied simply.

"You probably think I'm weak and just a child." Kakarot continued.

"Pretty much." Prince Vegeta agreed.

Kakarot paused, not sure what to say. He wasn't sure how this whole comforting thing was supposed to work but wasn't the Prince supposed to be trying to make him feel better.

"Why are you agreeing with me?" Kakarot asked with an angry pout.

"Because you are being stupid, pathetic and childish. You're being like that when you think like that. When you aren't thinking like that then I believe you to be a powerful and strategic warrior capable of a great many things. I respect you, just as you idolise me." Prince Vegeta explained tightening his hold but muttering under his breath due to the last part, "Not sure why though."

"But Sayians don't cry. It's weak and pathetic." Kakarot said in confusion.

"A very smart Sayian once told me that since he was crying, Sayians do cry. I believe you heard that too. Besides, you cry and you're not weak and pathetic. You feel things to strongly Kakarot and sometimes I envy you for that ability but not always. You feel so much, too much and you have to find some way to let it out. If crying is how you do it, then I am grateful to your tears even though they are painful to watch. Because if you weren't crying you'd be hitting things." Prince Vegeta explained further.

Kakarot was silent as he processed the extent of the Prince's observations. He was surprised by the fact that it was Prince Vegeta saying and admitting these things more than he was surprised by what the Prince had actually said.

"I dream about home." He said simply when he was done thinking it over.

"It's gone Kakarot. There's nothing you can do." Prince Vegeta replied very softly.

Kakarot's tail wrapped around the Prince's wrist. "You say that now, when you haven't even given yourself time to process what happened, time to realise the extent of our predicament."

"Why should I? It won't do either of us any good." Prince Vegeta asked slowly in genuine confusion rather than argumentation.

"Prince, I cry when I need to let out all the things that are just too much. If you keep it all in it will become too much and in a fight that's a bad thing. You could get so blinded by rage that you lose." Kakarot explained in a way that he hoped would reach the Prince.

"For now, I think I'll stick to my earlier statement. It won't do any good to dwell on things that cannot be changed so why should I." Prince Vegeta replied with a heavy sigh, "And you shouldn't either."

"Yes Prince." Kakarot whispered but his tail tightened slightly around the Prince wrist before unwinding and moving away, caressing the Prince's arm as it did.

Kakarot closed his eyes and leaned fully into Prince Vegeta's hug. It wasn't often that the Sayian Prince hugged him so he wanted to enjoy it while he could. Prince Vegeta chuckled, his chest shaking and rumbling with the action before he lay back so that Kakarot was now lying on top of him.

The steady thump of the Prince's heart was at Kakarot's ear and he listened to it now, breathing in and out in time to those thumps. What happened to that steady rhythm when the Prince was hurting? Did his heart beat faster or did it stutter just a little? Did he feel that pain, that clenching, aching throb that only got worse with every beat?

Kakarot closed his eyes and thought back to the day Prince Tarble had been sent away. Prince Vegeta's pain wasn't so silent as those around him believed. In fact it loud. A roar of anger, a thrash of power. Pain so great it levelled entire Sayian cities. That was the volume of Prince Vegeta's pain. His violence was as Kakarot's tears, they were the same but so much different.

"What are you thinking about?" Prince Vegeta asked his voice as distant as Kakarot's thoughts.

"Nothing much, just comparisons." Kakarot replied.

"We'll have to go get the swords when we get out of here. We were brought here after I passed out so I didn't exactly get the chance to grab them. I did cover the entrance to the cave before I left though." Prince Vegeta muttered like he was planning out his next day's schedule.

Kakarot just hummed, far too content to just lie there.

* * *

><p>There was a hesitant knock on the door. Both Sayians were lying on the bed having already sensed the approach. Kakarot was eager to meet these new 'humans' as Prince Vegeta had called them.<p>

He dashed to the door before coming to a stop and pouting. He had no idea how to open the thing. "Come in." He yelled instead.

When the door opened all he saw was blue. A blue that was like the sky outside. Did this human have the spirit of her sky? Free and unrestrained. Kakarot realised that the blue was in fact hair. He looked down and saw curious blue eyes staring at him. Those eyes smiled just as the red lips did. "Oh you're awake. I was starting to get a little worried. How do you feel?" Her name was Bulma Briefs. Prince Vegeta said she was ohkay so that meant she was awesome.

"Hi, I'm Kakarot and I feel a lot better. Thanks for the food, that stuff is great." Kakarot blurted out enthusiastically.

"He's hyperactive." Prince Vegeta stated from where he still lay on the bed.

"That's Prince Vegeta. I'm sure he didn't introduce himself yesterday." Kakarot hummed with a smile.

"Prince huh? So you weren't kidding about the whole royalty gig." Bulma mused walking around Kakarot and into the room. Not waiting for a reply she eyed the empty plates and tubs. "Well since you boys are up, you two can help me take these back to the kitchen."

Kakarot phased out of sight. When he reappeared he had all the plates stacked in one hand and all the tubs balanced in the other. "Come on Prince. Let's go already." Kakarot said with barely contained excitement.

"You'd never believe he was pretty much comatose just a few hours ago." Bulma muttered with a tiny smile.

"It's gets worse." Prince Vegeta muttered watching Kakarot's back since the other Sayian had moved so far ahead of them.

"So what happened last night?" Bulma asked carefully.

"Nothing. Just a species trait." Prince Vegeta replied curtly. Bulma picked up on the icy persona. Her expression hardened but she didn't push. If the Prince wasn't mistaken, it appeared as though she really wanted to but didn't for some reason.

Kakarot only paused long enough to ask which way he was supposed to go, his facial expression that innocent wide-eyed oblivious happiness . . . but there was pain in that expression. The Prince could see it but he would wait for Kakarot to come to him, just as Kakarot was waiting for the Prince to go to him. They needed each other but they had to admit it before they could act upon it.


	23. Chapter 23 Personal

**Sorry it's so late. I've been studying for my exams. Man I hate exams. I'm sure you can all agree there. **

Chapter 23

"Hay everyone, this is Kakarot." Bulma introduced as they walked through the door. Everyone paused in their own actions to look at the younger Sayian who was carrying all the plates and tubs from the previous night. All they saw though were the plates.

"And his oh so gracious friend is _Prince_ Vegeta." Bulma continued, the hint of venom in her voice not lost on the uncaring Prince.

"Hi." Kakarot chirped from behind the stack. Due to the stack of plates Kakarot didn't see the people in the room but he could sense them.

"Where do you want me to put these?" Kakarot asked, turning his head towards Bulma who was behind him.

"Uh, well just walk straight, towards the door there at the back. The kitchen's through there." Bulma replied with a small smile.

Kakarot nodded and began walking again. Prince Vegeta leaned against the wall by the door, content to watch the scene with hidden amusement.

As Kakarot walked the others in the room watched him, taking in the bits of him that they could see. Not a single one spoke a word and to the Prince that was odd but perhaps not to Kakarot. He was used to the silence that followed his entrances. The Prince wasn't sure if the silence was normal or if it was caused by them and he honestly didn't care.

Kakarot tripped so suddenly he didn't even consider trying to catch his fall. Before he could hit the ground he twisted, using his speed to snatch up the falling plates and tubs. He wasn't sure what had tripped him but it hadn't been a mistake on his part.

Kakarot yelped and whined when he realised there was one plate he wasn't going to reach in time. That didn't stop him from trying though. He dashed for it, being careful not to upset his newly stacked load.

The plate disappeared. Kakarot's hand was clenching thin air. There was only one person in the room that could've achieved that. Kakarot frowned and straightened, turning to the person behind him. Prince Vegeta smirked before putting the plate casually on top of the others.

"Watch your step Kakarot." He said with a gleam of mirth, but then his eyes hardened. Kakarot knew that it meant his suspicions were correct. He hadn't tripped by accident.

Which one of these humans had the power to do that? Kakarot didn't waste time getting to the kitchen this time. He wasn't taking any chances.

"So this is a nice place you got. It's a little big though." Kakarot commented, looking around as he walked back towards the Prince.

"Says the Sayian that used to live in the palace." Prince Vegeta breathed so that only Kakarot could hear when the other had gotten close enough.

He darted towards the other, trapping him in a cage of his arms and holding the younger close to him. Someone in this room had targeted Kakarot and he wanted them all to know that Kakarot was his. The fact that they hadn't sensed the slight attack was a cause for worry.

Kakarot laughed when the Prince licked his neck. "Prince, stop it! That's tickles." Kakarot laughed, squirming when the Prince blew on the wet area, causing a tingling sensation.

Someone in the room coughed and Kakarot looked around Prince Vegeta in curiosity. It was the little bald guy. He'd even gone a bright shade of red.

"Hay, you're the guy that hit me." Kakarot mused, pointing at the bright orange shorty.

"I didn't mean it. Honestly I thought you were going to dodge it or something. I mean you were so fast before and you only looked away for a second and I didn't know that your arm was broken and I'm really sorry . . ."

Kakarot frowned slightly before bursting into peals of laughter again, using the Prince for support when his knees went weak.

"Oh man, don't get so worked up. I'm not mad at you. In fact I'm impressed that you managed to shatter the bone. No one, not even the Prince has been able to do that." Kakarot assured the spluttering human.

"Sh-shatter?"

"Jip, but in all fairness the bone was damaged before you hit it." Kakarot added thoughtfully. By the Prince's tightening hold he figured that this topic would not end well for the little human.

"Relax Prince. I'm fine and he didn't mean it." Kakarot said quietly in the Sayian language.

"So uhm, are you two, uhm close?" The little bald guy asked.

"Close?" Kakarot asked in confusion but the Prince smirked.

"He means like this." Prince Vegeta stated with arrogant amusement before grasping Kakarot's chin and forcing Kakarot to look at him rather than around him before he crushed their lips together.

Kakarot's grip on the Prince's human clothing tightened in his surprise as he unthinkingly responded to the kiss. Before Kakarot could quite get a grip on his bearings the Prince pulled away.

Kakarot looked around the Prince at all the red and embarrassed faces before pushing Prince Vegeta away and answering the bald one's earlier question.

"No. He's just being mean by teasing you."

"M-me. You're the one he was kissing." Kakarot didn't know why the human had said it with such disbelief. Was he confused? He paused for a moment as he considered how best to answer the human.

"Prince Vegeta has a _rough_ sense of humour. He has also, I'm assuming, deduced that humans are extremely self-conscious. What about the kiss surprises you most? Age, gender or just the suddenness of it?" Kakarot asked swatting at the suddenly very touchy and clingy Prince.

"Ah well maybe all of it." Bulma answered instead when no one seemed fourth coming with an answer.

"Oh well where we come from none of these things would matter. What would matter is the fact that he's a Prince and I'm a low class." Kakarot explained, "But in short and back to the actual question, I grew up with him. We've been around each other since I was six and he was eleven. He's my best friend, my only friend really." Kakarot's tone drooped a little at the end but he maintained that sunny disposition of his.

"Liar." Prince Vegeta breathed in his ear. "I seem to recall a very _unfriendly_ situation happening just a few hours ago." He breathed even more softly, his voice deepening and dragging in all the right places making Kakarot go red.

Kakarot really couldn't fault the Prince there but he didn't think the humans needed to know that. Instead he settled for ducking his head.

"Oh, well that makes sense. He's very protective of you, you know." Bulma said cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence.

Kakarot just beamed a smile in reply. It was starting to occur to him that the Prince was protective for other reasons as well, but once again she didn't need to know that.

"So how come you're so chatty and he's so moody?" Bulma asked referring to the Prince and addressing Kakarot.

"Because he's a freak and he's annoying." Prince Vegeta answered simply, shocking the humans.

Kakarot laughed, shocking the humans even more. Wow they had issues with insults too? Touchy race of people.

"It's true. I'm the odd one. He's acting normal. It's customary for Sayians to be mean and grouchy. Warriors aren't supposed to make friends." Kakarot explained.

"So you two come from a race of warriors?" Bulma asked with interest, a sudden hope shinning in her eyes. Kakarot nodded.

"Speaking of, where's my armour?" Prince Vegeta interrupted.

"In the wash." Bulma answered blandly. Apparently there was a story there.

"When can I have it back?"

Kakarot glanced at the Prince who had won the clingy battle and was now holding Kakarot around the waist, his chin resting lightly on Kakarot's shoulder. He's expression was calculating, thoughtful. He had picked up on something that Kakarot had yet to see the threat in.

"Some time later today I suppose." Bulma replied, waving a hand as though it were unimportant.

Jip, something was definitely going on between those two. Prince Vegeta was too calm, too happy. Bulma was too relaxed. Her act was slipping. Kakarot could see the unease starting to show through the cracks. All of them in fact, they were really tense even though they were putting on a show of being calm and relaxed. Bulma also had an almost frenzied glee in her eyes when Kakarot said certain things. What was going on?

"It's puzzling isn't it?" Prince Vegeta said suddenly. In Kakarot's silent observations and thoughts he hadn't continued the conversation, watching instead as the humans grew more uneasy. At the Prince's statement most of them jumped slightly.

"What are you talking about?" Bulma asked with just the right amount of confusion and politeness.

"The armour. Its design is very complex." Prince Vegeta specified with a smirk.

Bulma's heart rate wasn't exactly speeding up but her heart was pumping harder. She smiled though, her act back in place, "We're just washing it. It was filthy." Smooth.

"So what is it you humans want from us?" Kakarot asked, his humorous attitude gone.

"Hn, to the point. You guys must suck at acting. He hasn't been this serious in ages." Prince Vegeta commented drily.

Bulma looked like she was going to deny it, was getting ready to fire off a reply that would solve all the disputes but Yamcha stepped in. "Don't even bother Bulma. They know something's up."

"Fine, fine. We need help and as much as we hate to admit it, you two are a Godsend." Bulma said with such wariness that Kakarot and the Prince expected her to collapse where she was standing.

"What could we possibly help you with? We just got here." Prince Vegeta scoffed.

"It's nothing special really. I'm sure that as a warrior race you would know more about then we do . . . . . Our planet is at war. For as long as I can remember there has always been war." Bulma replied distantly.

"You humans are pretty weak for a planet that lives at war with itself." Prince Vegeta commented.

There was a heavy silence, one that almost tasted of the shame in the room. Was their weakness that much of a disappointment to them? Kakarot discreetly nudged the Prince, silently telling him to lay off.

"We've tried. Every person in this room has tried their best to win the war but it's not one side against another–" Bulma eventually started to say once again.

"It's three." Kakarot interrupted, shocking those in the room with his knowledge, "We hear things." He added with a shrug.

"Either way. I don't see what it's got to do with me." Prince Vegeta said rudely.

"That's it! I've had it with you!"

All attention in the room immediately snapped to the silent woman in the corner. She wasn't silent anymore. She had been formidable before but now her anger was intense, flicking through the air to whip at both the Sayians' senses, making them flinch.

"You're ungrateful, rude, arrogant, pig headed, brash, shameless and a whole bunch of other nasty things. After everything, after all the danger it was to us, we took you in fed and cared for you. They least you could do was shut the hell up when Bulma is talking you insensitive pig!"

"Chi Chi, it's fine. He's entitled to his opinions. After all he isn't from this planet, so what do our affairs have to do with him?" This was said by a little old man who didn't seem angry like the rest of them did.

"Where the heck is his humanity?" she demanded, her eyes burning with a passion that was fit for a Sayian. The others in the room looked down or away at her question. None of them seemed willing to help her or correct her, apart for the little old man.

"He's not human Chi Chi. Neither of them are." This was said by a fat man with a sword.

Those words were enough to stun everyone into a heavy awkward silence once more. Kakarot could feel the buzz of the humans' power in the room but he wasn't really impressed. After all his power was multitudes higher.

"Let me get this straight. You want Kakarot and myself to help you end a decades old war on your planet." Prince Vegeta stated blandly but not unkindly, not waiting for the shock of realisation to wear off.

"Yes." Bulma said quietly.

"Not even knowing whether we eat humans, kill for fun, betray others and destroy everything they hold dear to their hearts just for the sheer enjoyment of it." Prince Vegeta continued.

He stepped away from Kakarot and walked right up to Bulma who was standing by a wall. She backed up the closer he got, pressing herself against the wall as much as she could. Prince Vegeta stopped when he was close enough for intimidation but not intimacy. For all the world he could appear to be seducing her but to Kakarot he was frightening her. He knew this tactic from when the Prince was displeased with Sayians at the palace. He kept his voice low and his eyes hooded. "Because I just described the core of my entire race, and as their Prince I'm the worst."

"You're lying." Bulma said very quietly, her blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears. A mere heartbeat had passed. Had she given herself time to let the Prince's words sink in? Kakarot didn't think she had. She looked desperate now that he was looking for it. Desperate enough to cloud her judgement from the truth.

Prince Vegeta considered the words for a moment, his face completely blank before he pulled away, walking to the door.

"Kakarot and I are leaving. Would any of you imbeciles care to point us in the direction of our armour and then the cave we had taken up residence in." He stated casually.

"So you're not even going to hear us out. You've already decided." Bulma said accusingly.

"There's nothing to make a decision on. I don't care about your puny little planet. It's weak and it's pathetic. This is not my war. I have my own problems to sort out." Prince Vegeta snapped back.

"Prince, perhaps we should–" Kakarot started but the Prince only glared at him, "NO! It's not our problem. Frieza is our problem."

Kakarot stared at the enraged Prince, taking in the heaving chest and the blood shot eyes. They clenched fists and the trembling frame. Violence = pain. He was in pain but was it for his own race or for the humans?

"Yes Prince." Kakarot said with a dip of his head.

"Your armour is this way." The two Sayians looked at the doorway to see the shorter old man walking out the room. Prince Vegeta immediately followed at a brisk pace. Kakarot walked after the angry Sayian but he glanced back at the others as he walked away, knowing that his expression was one of sorrowful regret. He'd have helped them had the Prince allowed it. Perhaps he could convince the Prince otherwise but not right now.

"Well that went well." Kakarot heard Yamcha say sarcastically.

"Prince, perhaps that was a bit rash. After all they did help us." Kakarot tried again when they were out of hearing range.

"Only because they wanted something from us." From that tone Kakarot knew it would be useless to try at the moment.

They followed the little old guy silently. Kakarot kept glancing at the Prince whose expression was completely blank. He only did that when he was in full Prince mode as Kakarot liked to call it. It was an act he put on when he was facing something he himself felt strongly about but didn't know what to do about it. So he reacted with coldness and violence, as he had grown up doing. Back at home, this persona was a daily occurrence whenever the Prince was around other Sayians, the spoilt catastrophe they so despised. As the Prince had put it years ago.

"Here we are." Kakarot looked at the old man. He was different from the others. Even in his limited exposure to the human race, he could see that much. He was more curious about them then scared. Kakarot figured he was also easily the strongest human at this residence. Now that he was away from the others Kakarot could sense the calm, dense Ki in this little old human. Too bad he was clearly at the limit of his race's lifespan and it also appeared that his prime had long since passed. He might have been the strongest but compared to the Sayians, he had about the same power Kakarot had had when he was in the low class training centre, slightly more but not by much.

A door opened and the three entered. Their armour was resting on a table, folded neatly or standing in a manner that was meant to be pleasing. Why would anyone want to do that? No matter. The two Sayians quickly put the now sparkling clean armour on, both feeling far safer with it on than off.

"Looks good on you two. No wonder you wear it."

Kakarot looked down at the white and royal blue armour. The blood red royal crest glaringly obvious against the white. He touched a now gloved hand to it, frowning at the unpleasant thoughts and feelings it stirred to the surface.

Another gloved hand grasped his and pulled it away from the red crest. Kakarot leaned into the Prince but not in a way that was obvious. He was grateful for the closeness they shared. The Prince always knew when he was suffering, and he the Prince. Right now they were both suffering.

"My name is Gohan. I know you probably don't care, but if you should ever need to come back here, just ask around for me. Or Miss Bulma Briefs." The little old man introduced, "You two wait here and I'll get Krillen to guide you back to where they found you."

Then he was gone, leaving them alone in the spacious room. It was well lit, sparsely furnished and rather undecorated. Kakarot immediately liked it.

They weren't left alone for long. Gohan was back before Kakarot could even really look around. Behind him, looking rather fearful was the little bald guy and had hit Kakarot. Kakarot grinned at him and predictable Prince Vegeta sent him a glare that would wither Frieza's toughest soldiers.

"Now you boys play nice. Krillen, do be a good boy and hurry home in time for dinner." Gohan said with a cheerful smile and wave. Krillen looked at him like he was crazy and gulped, giving a quick glance at Prince Vegeta's glare.

"Hurry it up shorty, I don't have all day." Prince Vegeta barked out impatiently making the small human jump.

"Ohkay, ohkay, no need to get so snappy." Krillen replied turning to go back the way he'd come.

"Where do you think you're going? There's a window right there. You're just wasting time. You're doing it to annoy me aren't you?" Prince Vegeta said accusingly, his eyes narrowing.

Kakarot could see the amusement in his otherwise hostile expression so he knew that the Prince was only messing around, but the human didn't. Kakarot didn't know whether to scold the Prince or to laugh silently with him.

Krillen reminded Kakarot of his younger self, only more of a coward than an odd ball. Krillen wasn't a coward, he just smartly knew when he was outmatched. Kakarot felt that he could like this little human if he stopped apologising so much.

Soon they were out the window and in the air. Kakarot soaked in the site below him, noting how much it looked just like a Sayian city yet so different at the same time. The most noticeable thing had to be the fact that it was so quiet and peaceful. It wasn't quiet noise wise. On that it was very much like a Sayian city . . . but there were no arguments or street brawls.

In fact people were talking to each other, laughing and smiling as they spoke of trivial matters. They had colourful bags of objects or small servings of food. They were all dressed in a manner of clothing that had no rank, no meaning. Well none that Kakarot could see. Did humans see each other as equal? Not likely if their state or war was anything to go on.

"Stop lagging Kakarot, we're not here for site seeing." Prince Vegeta barked playfully from up ahead. Kakarot rolled his eyes before speeding up so that he was flying next to the Prince rather than behind him.

"Hay baldy, can't you fly any faster?" Prince Vegeta directed his next bark at the little brightly dressed human who jumped.

"Well, we don't usually make it a habit of drawing attention to ourselves. We are the resistance after all." Krillen replied with a frown.

Prince Vegeta rolled his eyes impatiently. He looked at Kakarot thoughtfully before grinning mischievously. "You grab that side." He whispered point to Krillen's right.

Kakarot shrugged before flying slightly faster so that he was now level with Krillen and wrapping an arm around Krillen's shoulders and grinning at the freaked out human.

"Now, we'll fly and you tell us which way to go. Better be quick cause I don't want to have to make any wrong turns." Prince Vegeta said from Krillen's left.

Kakarot used his hold on Krillen to pull the human with him as he shot forwards, catching on to what the Prince wanted. Krillen yelled out in shock, his Ki dropping too low to fly. It wasn't the same as what the Prince and Kakarot did, so he probably didn't know how to conceal his energy but it was like he'd stopped extending the effort it would take to fly in his surprise.

"You guys are crazy! Why would anyone fly this fast?!" Krillen yelled, starting to sound like a blubbering baby instead of a full grown fighter.

"Actually this is kind of slow." Kakarot said with a grin down at the man, "Now which way?"

Krillen was left with no choice but to direct the two, in his opinion, erratic Sayians to where they had found the near dead two three or so days before. He clung to Kakarot like his life depended on it and who knew, it just might. A fall from this height and speed was sure to kill him, heightened Ki or not.

To Kakarot's delight, their little forest wasn't that far from the city. If they so desired they could be at Bulma's house in two hours at a comfortable speed. It was the compensation for the human's painfully weak eye sight that kept them flying so slow at the current moment. Anything faster and the human saw everything as nothing more than a blurry streak.

"Over there, by those trees." Krillen said pointing unnecessarily to the forest. They slowed and began to descend. Both the Sayians took great amusement in the fact that Krillen seemed almost eager to get to the ground, even though he was trying really hard to hide it.

"Oh sweet, sweet solid ground. I'll never leave you again." Krillen promised lovingly, directing his comment to the earth ground at their feet.

"Sure, walk all the way back." Prince Vegeta snorted rolling his eyes.

He took a moment to glance around and found to his immense delight that he actually knew where he was. He felt quite proud of this achievement and looked to Kakarot to see if he knew too.

"This way!" Kakarot announced with a happy yell and started to sprint in the opposite direction of the cave.

Prince Vegeta sighed and grabbed the back of his armour, steering him in the right direction.

"Oh great and glorious navigator, it's that way. Remember this is the spot you always get lost in." Prince Vegeta said with a smirk.

"Oh, right." Kakarot said scratching the back of his head before taking off in the right direction this time.

Kakarot didn't get lost often. It was only in certain spots. The Prince couldn't figure out why Kakarot got lost in those spots but other than those spots he was quite capable of navigating his way through the woods.

Krillen followed them, more out of curiosity than good wits. Humans. Prince Vegeta took off after Kakarot secretly hoping that the human wouldn't be fast enough to follow.

He caught up to Kakarot quickly enough and the other grinned at him before bursting into a faster run, silently issuing a challenge. Prince Vegeta smirked and accepted by increasing his own speed so that he was now in front of Kakarot.

It was a race to the cave, if they kept this up they'd be there in seconds without enough room and time to stop. Neither seemed to care. A challenge was a challenge and all challenges had to be answered.

Kakarot laughed as he bypassed the Prince yet again. Prince Vegeta noticed that he steered their course slightly so that they were no longer on a direct line for the cave but rather taking the long way around.

Kakarot stopped so suddenly that the Prince nearly blew right passed him. "What the hell?" He asked more out of anger at nearly falling on his butt than at Kakarot.

"Someone's been through here." Kakarot replied.

There were several signs now that he was looking. What had alerted him first had been smell, then he noticed the broken twigs and disturbed earth. There were even low branches that had been cut.

They could hear Krillen still behind them, keeping up but barely so. With a grim nod the two Sayians phased out of sight, moving as quickly as possible to end up by the cave.

The covering they usual left to hide the entrance was gone, everything that should have been inside was thrown around, broken and torn.

Both Sayians knew that this was done by the humans that had been looking for them for weeks. The only question now was, which master did they serve?

Kakarot dashed into the cave but quickly reappeared shaking his head, his face a scowl. "They took the swords."

Prince Vegeta's eyes narrowed and he turned just as Krillen came bursting through the trees, tripping over a tree root and landing with an oaf on the ground.

Prince Vegeta grabbed his wrist and blasted from the ground into the sky. All that which had been in the cave was unimportant. Objects acquired for daily tasks or amusement's sake. The swords were the only thing that either of the Sayian's care about and they were going to get them back.

"Wait, w-where are we going?" Krillen stuttered, wiggling in the Prince's poor grasp. It wasn't weak, just an odd way to carry a person while flying.

"You're the resistance right?" Prince Vegeta directed venomously at the little squirming human.

"Yes." Krillen replied in confusion.

"Congratulations, you just gained two new members." Prince Vegeta replied.

Krillen was silent for a moment, they were flying really fast, heading back to the capsule dome. They'd be there in minutes, maybe less than. Something had really pissed of the two Sayians. Even the usually cheerful one was grim, flying just behind Prince Vegeta.

By the time they had landed Krillen had managed to wiggle himself into a position where he was practically clinging onto the Prince. When Prince Vegeta let go, the little human slid down, boneless, to the ground and seemed quite content to simply sit there.

"So you're back again. I figured it would be days before we saw you two." Gohan was waiting for them, looking like he had indeed been expecting them.

"Save it old man. I'm just here for information." Prince Vegeta barked stepping over Krillen and heading into the building.

"Why the change of heart?"

"Before, it was your problem, something I really didn't give a damn about, but now . . . it's personal."


	24. Chapter 24 Galick Gun VS Kamehameha!

**Just finished with my end of year exams. Sorry to keep you all waiting. Thanks for all the reviews. I love reading them. They're always so nice. To Kit-kat, every time you say more please, it makes me go awww, I must go write. Hahahaha. XD**

**Oh and I'm having a slight writer's block. Nothing major. It's just taking a little longer to think of the next step. **

Chapter 24

"Yamcha! Stop fooling around."

Kakarot could hear Bulma from the entrance of the domed building and cringed. He hesitated, not really wanting to get any closer to that yelling but the Prince was already half way there. He didn't want to get left behind so he hurried in after the Prince.

When no one seemed to have noticed their presence, Gohan cleared his throat innocently. Bulma, who was lying on top of Yamcha, trying to reach his out stretched hand, looked up and went very red upon seeing the two Sayians. Yamcha was holding a small white object and Bulma seemed to want it.

Her blue hair was half tied on one side of her head and her clothes were minimal at best. Clearly she felt very comfortable around these 'resistance' members. What had she called them, the Z warriors? They wouldn't know a warrior if it crashed landed on their planet.

"Oh, what are you doing back? I thought we weren't good enough for you?" Yamcha asked drily, catching sight of the two Sayians.

"I'll do it, I'll kill them, I'll string them up by their genitals, hell I'll even cook them for dinner – just point me in the right direction." Prince Vegeta stated, his voice completely stoic.

They all gaped at him, but Kakarot just stood next to him, humming cheerfully to himself. He'd learnt it was best not to argue with the Prince when he was in this mood.

"Are you serious?" Bulma squeaked out, scrambling off of Yamcha.

"Deadly." Prince Vegeta replied, his voice showing just a hint of his anger.

"Look, just because you can throw a few good punches does not mean you can take these guys on. They're powerful. Almost unbeatable. Well except maybe the little green one. But they're all still really powerful." Yamcha said angrily as he sprang to his feet, glaring at the Sayian Prince.

"So what. Kakarot and I are powerful too." Prince Vegeta shrugged, waving a hand dismissively.

"I don't think you get it. We can't just go barging in there. We need plan, a strategy. We have a plan, all we needed was a little extra power and now we have it." Bulma said, concern lacing her voice.

"No, I don't think _you_ get it. We're Sayians. We live to fight." Prince Vegeta said slowly as though he thought all the humans were slow, which he probably did. The statement was met with confusion as though they had no idea what he was talking about. Prince Vegeta rolled his eyes. What kind of a backwater planet was this anyway? Not even Frieza's dogs had toughed it yet.

"Sayians?" Chi Chi asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"Yes, Sayians. As in we come from a planet of Warriors. Our primary reason for existing is to fight. That's all we care about. Getting stronger and stronger and believe me, there isn't a limit to how powerful we can get, at least not as far as we know." Kakarot explained, "The Prince and I are the strongest from our Planet. He's stronger than me though, but not by much." Kakarot added.

"Well then that's not saying much for your so called warrior race. I can keep up with him. And if that's the case then we're all screwed since King Piccolo alone would crush you." Yamcha scoffed.

Prince Vegeta was in front of him so fast that Kakarot had actually missed it. Yamcha blinked, his eyes wide and the sneer dripping off his features.

"I was messing around with you earlier, having fun with your weakness, but if you insist I'm sure I can shift your perception of my power very quickly." Prince Vegeta smirked, releasing just a small amount of his power, allowing his Ki to spill over and surround Yamcha. It wasn't a lot to Kakarot but in comparison to the human, it was more than a lot. It was probably enormous.

Kakarot guessed that the Prince's power was hovering somewhere near twenty-five thousand or so, while the human was only at a couple hundred.

Yamcha's face had paled, his hand had started to shake and his voice seemed to be completely gone. "I think he gets the point Prince, no need to push it any higher." Kakarot said softly, but his own lips were curved up in amusement.

"Your power is impressive young one. Why do you hide it? Your race does not strike me as the kind that would do such a thing." Gohan observed quietly.

Prince Vegeta reined in the slightly wayward Ki and backed away from Yamcha who had yet to recover. He turned to the old man, giving him a thoughtful glance and then turned away again.

"We aren't. It's only Kakarot and myself that hide our true strength. Where we come from power means everything but too much power can also mean trouble, especially if you don't exactly form part of the elite." He replied bitterly, "But it doesn't matter. All I want is to know where I can find the bastard. They took something of mine and I want it back."

"Well then, if you're patient then you'll get all three of them served up to you in one go. There's going to be an annual conference in one week. All three of them go there to discuss each other's progress in an attempt at playing nice. In reality they're all there to find out how strong the other one has gotten." Bulma explained.

"In the meantime we can learn as much as possible about them, right Prince." Kakarot said cheerfully, going over to the Prince and pulling him into a reluctant hug. Kakarot hadn't missed the sadness that had seemed to creep over the Prince when talk of the Sayians had begun. Since he was hugging the Prince from behind he didn't expect the hug to be returned. Instead he began humming quietly again, allowing the vibration to sooth through the Prince, relax him.

"You guys are welcome to stay here until then. We can sort out the plan and get everything in place. If they took something of yours then it'll most likely be bought up at that meeting, as well as your landing. They'll be wanting to know which one of the others had found you if at all and there'll be a general interest in your space ship." Bulma continued.

Neither of these Sayians were really listening, both enjoying the other's company, letting it wash over themselves and distract them from the hard truth of their situation.

* * *

><p>"Hay Prince, Prince! You've got to see this." Kakarot yelled excitedly. Prince Vegeta lifted one lazy eyelid so that he could regard the younger Sayian whose face was flushed red with excitement, only the Prince couldn't help the desire to see that face flushed for different reasons.<p>

Kakarot triumphantly held up a little white vial. No, not a vial, something else.

His thumb clamped onto the top and he tossed the white object a small distance away. There was a poof and a huge cloud of smoke billowed around where the thing had landed. The smoke didn't seem dense since it dissipated almost immediately. It didn't even have a foul odour, was actually kind of fruity.

When the little white object landed a large vehicle of some sort stood sparkling at them mysteriously. "Isn't it cool?" Kakarot crowed in loud exuberance.

"It is interesting." Prince Vegeta yawned. Kakarot's excitement took on a mischievous glint before the Prince saw it the younger Sayian pounced, knocking the Prince from the tree branch he'd been lounging on.

They tumbled to the ground below, Kakarot laughing as they struggled for the top position, the dominant one. The grass inside the Capsule Corp indoor garden was thick, cushioning their fall. A help of surprise told the two that they had interrupted the bald one and the loud annoying one's spar. Not that they cared in the least.

"That's it, I've had it with those two." Yamcha fumed, his Ki gathering into his palms.

"Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" he yelled, the blue Ki in his palms shooting forwards towards the tumbling Sayians. The blue beam connected, causing a bright blue flash that had them all squinting. Before the smoke even cleared Bulma was smacking Yamcha upside the head.

"You idiot. What is wrong with you?" Bulma demanded, "You can't blast the people that are going to help us!"

"Hay do that again, it was pretty." A happy voice yelled from the smoke which could only be Kakarot.

As it thinned, it revealed to the stunned Z warriors a smirking and unfazed Prince Vegeta straddling a squirming Kakarot. Kakarot was looking around the Prince and towards Yamcha, both of the Sayians completely unscratched. Yamcha wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball of self-hating misery. How could anyone be that strong? Or maybe, hopefully, he'd missed.

"Seriously, what was that? Its attack strength was double a usual Ki beam, if not more." Kakarot continued still trying to dislodge the Prince, flipping them over but the Prince just used the momentum to flip them over once more so that he was again flat on his back.

"It's called the Kamehameha, and that technique is my little baby." An vice crackled from a beach chair positioned in the sun.

"Hn, it's nothing compared to the Final Flash, or the Big Bang, or even the Galick Gun." Prince Vegeta scoffed.

"I dunno Prince, it just might be something, if the human had the power to back it." Kakarot argued thoughtfully, "Teach it to me and we'll test it out." He was looking at the old pervert with the sunglasses. The two Sayians hadn't been there long but they'd been there long enough to know that while the old man was considered a master in his field he was still a perverted moron outside of that field.

"Krillen,, would you care to demonstrate for the Sayian."

"Yes master Roshi." Krillen squeaked before getting into the right stance. Prince Vegeta allowed Kakarot to get up so that he could go and stand next to Krillen and study his movements.

Yamcha was still trying to find his dignity that had been shattered across the floor.

Prince Vegeta leaned against the trunk of the tree he'd been sitting in earlier. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Kakarot nodded and moved with the bald one who was explaining the technique to the younger Sayian.

"I'm sorry about Yamcha, you know from before." Prince Vegeta looked away and to the left to see Bulma standing next to him.

"Hn, no harm no foul." He replied in a voice dripping boredom. His eyes lingered on the blue hair, taking in the softness. Sayians didn't have hair like that and the Prince had to admit that it was attractive. Her eyes, while fascinating, were nothing like Kakarot's. They didn't have that wide eyed innocence and curiosity. Her eyes were tired, far too old for the face they were on.

"An apology felt needed anyway."

"No, Kakarot gets to learn something new so it's not much of an issue. It's not every day that the brat learns something. Usually he's teaching me." Prince Vegeta replied fondly but not overly so.

"I thought you were stronger than him?"

"Not by much and it's only because I'm from the Royal family. Generations of breeding meant to produce nothing but elite. Kakarot is . . . . . an abnormality, even among Sayians. His power soars far above that of all the others, yet he was born as a low class." Prince Vegeta explained quietly, "Even his personality is different. The result of a near fatal head wound as a child. He learns far faster than a normal Sayian, and all he has to do is watch. Then he can automatically tell where the weakness is and how to counter it. His fighting style is nearly flawless and it's a bitch to learn."

"I see. So he's a natural at something he hates." Bulma said thoughtfully.

"He doesn't hate it. Far from it, he just doesn't like hurting people but he'll do it if he has to."

"And you, what about you?"

Prince Vegeta's chuckle was cruel, dark. "By the time I was six I'd killed all my training partners because they were too weak. I am the Prince of a race of Warriors whose favourite pass time is to kill other beings. While my power is above that of the average Elite Sayian, my personality is not. I might as well be the poster child."

"Don't listen to him Bulma. He's just putting on an act. He does it so often he can't tell when he's doing it anymore." Kakarot yelled happily from his spot near Krillen.

"I don't know what he sees in me." Prince Vegeta muttered very quietly, obviously so that Kakarot wouldn't hear him.

"Perhaps you should ask." Bulma replied, even though it was a question that didn't really want an answer.

Prince Vegeta turned back to Kakarot just in time to see a blue beam of Ki headed straight for him. He sprang out of the way landing next to a smirking Kakarot. "Still think it's no match?" he asked with a mischievous gleam. The beam of Ki connected with a wall, disintegrating it completely.

"We can always test it out. Perhaps somewhere not so crowded." Prince Vegeta replied getting ready to blast through the hole they had just created.

"Hold on there boys. Let's go to my place. There's plenty of open air and I'd like to see how well you do on the Kamehameha strength test." Roshi said getting up off the chair.

To the Sayians' dismay, going to Roshi's place meant going in a device the human's called a vehicle, or rather a plane that could be a vehicle too.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Prince Vegeta whined.

"Oi, I'll have you know that this is the fastest plane on the production line." Bulma sneered.

Those two were as stubborn as each other and Kakarot was beginning to find their antics amusing.

"Hay, Kakarot." Krillen began nervously and when Kakarot turned to him he blushed as though not sure he wanted to actually say this, "Chi Chi wants to know what it's like to have a tail?" he said in a rush before cowering into a corner as though expecting a blow to the head.

Kakarot blinked at him before turning to the usually silent girl at the back of the plane. According to the others though, she wasn't always this silent and actually had quite the temper. Kakarot had yet to see this. She saw his gaze and a surprising blush warmed her cheeks.

"Well Krillen, I suppose it's like me asking you what it's like not having hair. I'd never shave my head because my hair would never grow back so it's the same thing." Kakarot replied with a grin.

"You hair doesn't grow back?"

"Nope. A Sayian's hair remains the same from birth. And every single one of us had the same colour." Kakarot replied.

"While you're in the explaining mood, I've been meaning to ask, what's with the whole Low class, Elite class thing?" Bulma asked, not taking her eyes off the terrain in front of her.

"Oh, that's how Sayians are classified at birth. The power levels are measured when Sayians are born and it's a good indication of how powerful they'll be when they grow up. They are trained and separated according to the class they fall under. There's Low Class, like me. Third Class like my brother and father and Elite like the Prince." Kakarot explained.

"That's just barbaric." Bulma complained.

"It was implemented for a reason." Prince Vegeta snapped, he didn't like the Class system any more than the average low class Sayian did but he did know why it was there. "It was put into place for a few reasons, one of them being the need to match Sayians in a way that would produce stronger offspring. Another was because before the Civil War, before we had the technology to actually tell a Sayian's power level, there would be freak incidents where Low Class mothers gave birth to Elite offspring, essentially dying as a result. Females are something we treasure, to an extent, in our race since they are the means to produce more fighters. Throwing them away like that is pointless." Prince Vegeta explained, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"I didn't know that." Kakarot whispered.

"Hn, why would you?" Prince Vegeta scoffed.  
>"True. It wasn't something I was interested in and I doubt I'd have had the clearance to look it up." Kakarot replied not looking offended by the Prince's rudeness at all.<p>

"Hay, Master Roshi, who taught you how to fight?" Kakarot asked turning away from the Prince, taking not of his brooding mood and knowing that he wasn't really in the mood to talk.

"I don't remember." Master Roshi replied.

"But you taught Gohan, right?" Kakarot pressed.

"Sure did, what you getting at kid?" Master Roshi crackled.

"Would you teach me? I think there are some aspects in your style that could add to my own." Kakarot replied with a grin.

"I'm not sure what I could teach you sonny, you're far above my level." Master Roshi replied, for once being perfectly serious.

"Oh, that's too bad." Kakarot pouted but he pretty much expected that answer anyways.

"You could just watch the weaklings fight and then you'd have what you wanted." Prince Vegeta mumbled but Kakarot heard him.

Kakarot raised an eyebrow at the Prince's lazy sulky mood. He snuck up behind the brooding Sayian, watching him carefully. One wrong move on his part and the Prince would explode into a temper that he hadn't been in for a very long time. He carefully tugged off his glove, his fingers glowing with Ki.

Slowly, carefully he raised his hand before pressing down onto a pressure point on the Prince's neck. Prince Vegeta's muscles immediately went slack and he slumped forwards. Before he could hit his head on the dashboard Kakarot looped an arm around his chest and pulled him backwards and out of the co-pilot seat. He dragged the scowling but limp Sayian to where he had been previously, arranging him so that they were both sitting down, the Prince's back to Kakarot's chest.

Kakarot kept one arm wrapped around the Prince, the other gently threading fingers through the Prince's hair. "You're awfully tense these days my Prince. You should relax more." Kakarot whispered in his ear.

"You're not giving me much choice." Prince Vegeta sighed, melting even more into Kakarot's hold.

Kakarot chuckled before shifting so that the Prince was more comfortable, touching the same pressure point as before so that the prince was able to move again, but didn't.

"Later." The Prince murmured so that only Kakarot could hear him. Later could mean a lot of things, like I'll tell you later what's been bugging me, or I'm going to beat you to a pulp for doing this to me, later.

Either way, Kakarot was just glad that the Prince had decided to let Kakarot hold him, snuggle with him in an otherwise boring and lengthy trip.

"Is he always this grumpy?" Bulma asked curiously.

"Yes. It just has varying degrees. Like right now, he's brooding about something." Kakarot said with a smile.

"If you say so. All I see is rude grumpy alien." Bulma muttered, "Alright guys we'll be there in about two hours. See Roshi this is what you get when you isolate yourself so far out in the middle of fricken _no_where."

* * *

><p>Kakarot stepped carefully onto the sandy beach. This sand was a lot like desert sand but it was denser due to the water. Kakarot hadn't really been to a beach before. Planet Vegeta didn't have large masses of water to form beaches, only lots of little masses of water.<p>

"Alright let's get down to it. Yamcha, why don't you show them how we test the strength of a Kamehameha wave." Roshi said cheerfully, getting right down to business.

Yamcha nodded before going to the water. He walked into the water and till it was lapping at his calves before getting into the required stance. The blue Ki flickered to life as Yamcha gathered his energy. He was almost painfully slow about it but when he blasted the Ki he blasted it out towards the ocean, creating two walls of waves that reached about the same height as Yamcha's crouch.

"Alright, seems easy enough. The height of the wave is the strength of the Kamehameha?" Kakarot asked looking at Roshi who nodded.

Kakarot happily splashed over to a panting Yamcha. Really? He was that tired? But he'd hardly put anything into the attack at all. Kakarot shrugged before gathering his own energy. He wondered how much he should put into it before deciding not much since Prince Vegeta wanted to test the attack against one of his own.

"Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" Kakarot let the beam zoom towards the open water. At first nothing happened and Yamcha scoffed. Then the water around their feet started to recede, drawing back into the ocean. Kakarot watched it for a moment, stretching out his senses before splashing his way out of the water and heading to the Prince. He grabbed the Prince's arm before shooting straight up into the air just as a large wave splashed over the entire island.

"Oh no my hair!" Bulma wailed while the two Sayians laughed above the soaked humans.

Prince Vegeta floated out of Kakarot's grasp and higher up, still smiling at the blubbering humans below. "Ready Kakarot?" he asked his own Ki flickering in response to his words.

Kakarot turned away from the scene of Chi Chi fuming at Master Roshi since it was his idea in the first place, to face the Prince who was gather his Ki slowly, allowing Kakarot time to catch up.

"How much power are we putting into it?" Kakarot asked.

"Enough to singe a few tail hairs." Prince Vegeta smirked. He was impatient, needing a good brawl to work off pent up steam. It had been awhile since their last spar, hell even their last training session so Kakarot was just as pent up as he was.

A haze of purple energy surrounded the Prince. Huh, this was new. Kakarot had never seen him use this technique before, but that didn't mean he didn't know what it was. Galick Gun. One of the most powerful techniques in the Royal arsenal. Only they knew it, yet there meeting with the banished Sayians suggested otherwise. Still, Kakarot was excited to see what power this technique held.

White energy blazed to life around Kakarot as his power rose to match the Prince's. Hands moved to the side as both prepared for the onslaught of energy they were about to release, the only difference was the position.

A spark of blue twinkling at a spark of purple mere milli-seconds before each one exploded into full-fledged attacks. A determined scowl met a smirking sneer.

"HA!"

The two explosions met in the middle, blue swirling with purple, the very power in the air making their hair stand up straighter.

"Damn it! I won't lose to you Kakarot!" Prince Vegeta yelled when it appeared they were at a stalemate, his arrogant side leaking through.

Kakarot grit his teeth as more power was fed into the Galick Gun, pushing Kakarot backwards. Kakarot forced more Ki into the Kamehameha, matching the Prince swirling stroke for swirling stroke.

Both of them were squinting against the brightness of the energy, trying to see each other around the light. Sweat quickly beaded in the intense heat.

They wouldn't be able to keep this up. Sure the power of a blast was dependant on the amount of Ki but even Kakarot and the Prince couldn't force all their pent up energy into one blow. Their bodies would not be able to handle the strain and nor would the surrounding area. As it was the energy was crackling in the air, soaking up all the oxygen. Kakarot knew one thing for certain, the Prince had far more endurance when it came to these situations. Either he forced more Ki into it, more than the Prince could defend against or he pulled out and finished this physically.

Pushing more energy was out of the question. He'd risk hurting the Prince too much by doing that. So Kakarot put more Ki into the blast, but only enough to push the collision point towards the Prince. With a harsh snarl he yanked away from the Ki and darted to the side.

He immediately dashed to the Prince, slamming into him from the side so that they were both hurling to the ground, well the ocean. Not a moment too soon since the battling energies in the sky reacted and exploded, cancelling each other out.

The water was a relief after the intense heat. But this battle wasn't over yet. They were enjoying it far too much to let it drop just like that.

Prince Vegeta flew upwards and shot out of the water, Kakarot not far behind. They faced each other as they hovered in the air, water dripping back to the ocean. They were slightly out of breath, nothing unexpected for the amount of power they had just used.

"Ready?" Kakarot asked wide eyes sparkling.

"Always." Prince Vegeta smirked before connecting a fist to the side of Kakarot's face.

Kakarot wasn't dazed long, he phased out of sight only to reappear directly below the Prince, a hard kick sending the prince upwards. Kakarot phased out of sight once again, reappearing above the Prince this time and using a hard punch to send him crashing onto the Island.

Prince Vegeta got to his feet, slowly swiping a gloved fist across his split lip.

"Aerial Combat was never your strong point, my Prince. Too much time spent in the palace training rooms." Kakarot said softly, before landing on the ground next to him.

"Then why directly my fall to a place I have more advantage?"

"It's no fun when all I'm doing is kicking your butt." Kakarot grinned jumping over the kick aimed for his legs.

"I'll never learn if you don't let me." Prince Vegeta argued throwing kicks and punched at the younger Sayian, all of which were dodged.

"Alright then. Come get me." Kakarot yelled jumping up into the air.

"Huh?" Kakarot jerked to a stop, frozen, "What the? When? How?"

Arms snaked around him and pulled him backwards. "Got you." The Prince breathed, "Now what? How about I repay you for the landing?"

They shot upwards, Kakarot stuck in the embrace of the Prince. His strength always outmatched Kakarot's. Suddenly they were diving down again, hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speeds.

The prince let go and Kakarot couldn't stop his fall. He slammed painfully into the ground, creating a crater next to the one the Prince had landed in.

Kakarot's eyes were shut as he breathed harshly. Every bone had been jarred by that attack and he was struggling to recover in time. If this were a real battle the Prince would already be hammering him into the ground some more. But it wasn't so the Prince was gently lifting him instead and carrying him out of the crater. It wasn't a deep one, since the Prince had slowed the descent towards the last second, just as Kakarot had pulled his punch a little before slamming the Prince into the ground previously.

"Are you guys crazy?!" Bulma demanded angrily.

"Shhh, he's got a headache. Don't you Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta said, and Kakarot didn't have to open his eyes to know that he was smirking.

"I give, you win." Kakarot wheezed. He must have not been as healed as he thought. Oh well, at least he knew where he stood, medically.

"Always." Prince Vegeta murmured, pulling him closer.


	25. Chapter 25 Tournament

**Starting this chapter off on a bit of a deep note but it's about damn time!**

**Also sorry for the wait my lovely readers, my computer decided not to play nice for a while and I had to send it in for repairs. All's good now, so we hope but so far so good. **

Chapter 25.

Kakarot shifted off the hospital bed. He hadn't been badly hurt, just surprised and a bit winded but Bulma had insisted. She wouldn't let the matter drop which was fine, Kakarot didn't mind the fussing. Their medical methods were highly outdated though.

Prince Vegeta watched from his spot by the far wall. Kakarot had been told to strip so that he could have a full examination, leaving him in nothing more than the spandex pants. Prince Vegeta was drinking in the sight of muscles tensing and rippling as Kakarot moved, liquid grace just under pale skin.

He moved across the room to stand behind Kakarot before he'd even realised that he had moved at all. Kakarot had stopped moving, stopped fidgeting. He held perfectly still as the Prince stood behind him. Slowly, Prince Vegeta raised a hand and placed it on Kakarot's heated skin. Home. Kakarot was home.

"I don't like talking about the Sayians." Prince Vegeta whispered.

"I know." Kakarot replied leaning backwards slightly, closer to the Prince's warmth.

"It makes me feel things I don't like."

Kakarot turned then, the Prince's hand trailing over his body as he moved. Those wide eyes were serious, yet comforting as they looked at the Prince. "Hurt. You feel hurt." Kakarot identified for him, knowing that it was something the Prince would not be able to understand alone.

Kakarot lifted his own hand to place it on the Prince's chest. He could almost feel the heartbeat through the armour, almost.

Instead he shifted his hand upwards, watching his hand instead of the Prince's face. His hand smoothed over the armour and onto the Prince's neck and this time he could feel that steady ba-bump as the blood pulsed through his body.

But Kakarot didn't stop. His hand continued until it was at the back of the Prince's neck, fingers threading into the soft hairs there. That was when Kakarot raised his eyes to look at the Prince. There were questions there, in that unblinking gaze but it was the controlled excitement that dominated those dark eyes.

Kakarot tugged, very gently, but the Prince moved forwards all the same. Kakarot leaned up to close the distance, brushing his lips against the Prince's. It was the first time he'd ever instigated this kind of contact, the first time he'd allowed himself to be so close to the Prince, feel such intimacy.

Prince Vegeta's own hand moved to Kakarot's shoulder, resting there for only a moment as the Prince pressed closer to Kakarot. Fingers twisted together in an almost desperate need to feel anything other than that blackening sadness.

Kakarot's tongue flicked against the Prince's lips and they parted on a slight gasp. Kakarot was standing now, allowing the Prince to take control in this situation. Somewhere he'd closed his eyes but he didn't really mind. He was feeling right now, just feeling.

Prince Vegeta's other arm pulled Kakarot closer to him, deepening the kiss. Fingers tightened in his hair as a small moan escaped the younger Sayian.

Prince Vegeta broke away slowly, before he crossed the line where he'd do something he might regret. Kakarot was still far too innocent in such things. He might have an understanding and know what happened when Sayians coupled but he had probably never experienced just how intense it could be.

"Stay." The Prince whispered still holding Kakarot close. _Don't leave me . . . _

"Always." Kakarot breathed back.

* * *

><p>"Remember, stick to the plan. I know you guys are insanely powerful but we're not." Bulma said firmly, looking at the two Sayians. Both of them had become really quiet, subdued rather than withdrawn since the day at Roshi's island. But they were focused on this task with every fibre of their being. It was amazing really. Their military mind set was made apparent in their ability to receive and carry out orders without question unless to give a better idea.<p>

The fact that the arrogant Prince was so calm about being ordered around surprised them all but Bulma suspected it had something to do with the younger Sayian that never left his side.

Kakarot tapped the Prince's shoulder once before disappearing from sight. The Prince wasn't far behind. Where they were going was somewhere only they knew. Bulma scowled at them, tempted to yell that it wasn't a part of the plan but that would give away their position on top of the roof.

Just before she could get completely mad at them however they reappeared, four unconscious men now lying at her feet. "Scouts." Prince Vegeta stated blandly.

Bulma nodded weakly, trying to figure out how to close her gaping mouth when Krillen hissed that he could hear something. They had set up a device that would allow them to hear the meeting, they needed only to find the right frequency and apparently Krillen had.

"–uiet you weakling scum!" Came a gruff snarl.

"How dare you! I am the Emperor of this world!"

"Now, now gentlemen let's be civil for a moment. As I understand it there are many interesting things to discuss." This voice was cool and collected.

Bulma held up one finger to indicate the first voice and then mouth King Piccolo. The second finger and voice was Emperor Pilaf and the third was the current leader of the Red Ribbon Army.

"So, who shot down the spaceship?" The Red Ribbon Army spokesman. Apparently it was never the actually leader, or so they would have the others believe. According to Bulma the man down there was in fact the leader he just wanted the other two to think he wasn't.

"That would be I." King Piccolo bellowed with a laugh.

"Has anyone found anything? I sent teams to comb the area, but found nothing." Emperor Pilaf asked, a definite pout involved just by his tone.

"Ah, yes. My men managed to uncover a hidden cave that showed evidence of people, or things, living inside. The beings were not found but some other interesting things were." Red Ribbon army leader. Kakarot tightened his hold on the Prince's upper arm, but otherwise said nothing.

"And what did you find? It better be something useful." King Piccolo grunted.

"I was thinking they could be used as bait. Those resistance members after all are becoming a pain and it will also help us show our man power."

"What are you getting at Blue?" Emperor Pilaf crackled his interest peaked.

"I was thinking a tournament. All the greatest fighters of the world will flock to it to win the prize. It might flush out the aliens as well as the resistance and anyone who signs up that isn't a part of the resistance or one of our armies will be forced to join if they manage to survive the tournament. It will give us a tighter control over these misguided weaklings."

"I like the way you think, Blue. But what is it that you found?"

"Silver, bring in the prize."

There was silence as they waited. Then there was a faint clatter and murmurs of appreciation. So the swords were there. Right underneath them.

Kakarot looked at the Prince. Kakarot really did not like tournaments since Frieza's always meant death and the Prince saw the younger Sayian's decision in his eyes only a second before he acted.

Prince Vegeta clamped his arms around Kakarot before he could crash into the building below them. "Wait Kakarot." He hissed, "This tournament is something we could use."

"How. Exactly. Is. This. Something. We. Could. Use." Kakarot asked slowly, his teeth clenched together in anger.

"Training. These humans might not be strong but their fighting styles might prove to be effective. You yourself said that the Sayian fighting style was greatly lacking and besides any surprise advantage we can gain over Frieza is enough of a reason for me." Prince Vegeta hissed so that only he could hear.

Kakarot went limp in his hold and Prince Vegeta loosened his grip. He knew that Kakarot would obey, he'd need only order it but he wanted the other to agree with him, make the decision for himself.

"Alright. I see your point but I still don't like it. Especially not when our goal is so close. We could be letting an easy win slip through our fingers." Kakarot sighed.

"Trust me, hunting these idiots down won't be hard." Prince Vegeta deadpanned. He obviously didn't think much of their strength and neither did Kakarot, who was usually quite ready to look for the good in everything.

So the tournament it is then.

* * *

><p>"This is sooo weird. There's too much wind." Kakarot whined as he twisted about, stretching and testing his movements in the bright orange Gi he now wore.<p>

They had decided that Kakarot was going to enter with Krillen and Yamcha as one of Master Roshi's students since he knew the Kamehameha technique.

Prince Vegeta grunted his consent as he shifted in his own chosen clothing. He was wearing dark jeans and an even darker tight long sleeved shirt. He was going to be entering as Gohan's student even though he hardly looked the part but not even Kakarot could persuade him to wear something a little more warrior like in the human definition. In truth they both really, really, really . . . . really really wanted their armour back.

"Hay, arrogant Sayian bastard." Bulma called from the doorway. She'd taken to calling the Prince that, refusing to acknowledge his title since he really was arrogant.

Prince Vegeta turned to her with a scowl with only deepened at her smile. Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously and her voice became mocking. "And here I was, coming to you in your most uncomfortable hour bearing gifts." She giggled, unable to keep up the pretence any longer before tossing a dark piece of fabric at the Prince.

He caught it on reflex and held it away at arm's length. He first noticed royal blue and deep blood red. He stretched it out a bit and saw that it was in fact what the human's referred to as a jacket and on the back was the Royal crest, down to the last block and curve.

"It's just something small, since I noticed that symbol seemed to be important to you." Bulma said softly looking at the floor with a blush.

The Prince's "Hn." Was translated as a thank-you by Kakarot.

"And I made these for you guys as well." Bulma said quickly changing the topic so that the seeming tense atmosphere would dissolve.

She held up two bracelets which neither Sayian moved to touch. "They're gravity bracelets." She explained. She didn't know that usually a bracelet to the Sayians meant Ki restrainers.

Kakarot was the first one to pick up one of the bracelets when he noticed Bulma's cheerful smile beginning to fade. "What do they do?"

"Well they'll change the effect of the Earth's gravity on the person wearing them. You mentioned something about your home planet having a denser gravity and I thought this might help you guys blend in at the tournament." Bulma explained, "I don't recommend going over five times Earth's natural gravity though. I take no responsibility for you two becoming pancakes."

Prince Vegeta laughed arrogantly and snatched up the remaining bracelet. "Woman, our planet's natural gravity is _ten_ times that of this puny mud ball."

"Prince, a thank-you would have been nicer." Kakarot chided while he himself bowed to Bulma.

The two clipped the bracelets into place and fiddled with the settlings until they were at ten times earth's normal gravity. They both waited with the strain settled over their bodies gradually. It was a comfortable weight even if it was one they would have to take an hour, maybe two, to get used to.

"Ah, you two are moving much better now." Gohan chirped from the doorway.

The two Sayians looked at the old man questioningly. He was also perhaps the only human besides Bulma, not that the Prince would tell her that, that they respected. Kakarot was ohkay with Krillen though.

"You two unconsciously move very fast and it was a bit worrisome since our goal was stealth but now I see that it won't be much of a problem unless you use your Ki to move at faster speeds." Gohan explained with a smile.

"Oh." Kakarot replied with a sheepish smile ducking his head as his hand automatically went to the back of his head.

"It's nothing to be apologetic for. If you're used to a much denser gravity then I'd say you two were doing well." Bulma chided playfully.

"Hay Prince, these can be used for training. Like weights, only they'll be everywhere." Kakarot said happily with a wide smile at Bulma and an excited tail flick at the Prince. The Prince only smirked in reply but Kakarot knew he was just as excited.

"Orange looks good on you, Kakarot." Krillen announced happily as he walked into the room followed by a disgruntled Yamcha.

"Oh, I'm glad you guys are here. Would you mind just sparring a bit so that I can get a general idea of Master Roshi's style?" Kakarot asked, his attention zipping immediately to the two.

"Since Gohan was taught by Master Roshi I can then teach the Prince, and it'll be similar but not the same." Kakarot continued, his attention completely on that of the two orange clad warriors who were also absorbed in what Kakarot was saying. The Prince simply watched, enjoying the scene since it wasn't every day that Kakarot was practically barking orders.

* * *

><p>"I never expected so many people to come." Kakarot mused as he looked around. The Prince grunted in agreement, sticking close to the other Sayian even though they were representing different masters. The way he figured it was that since Gohan had been taught by Master Roshi then he himself was representing the old pervert by extension.<p>

They were all headed over to the registration booth where the humans would take care of things. The Sayians were cautious since there was a clear separation between all the humans. Everyone seemed to be representing one of the three super powers of Earth and this created obvious tension.

"Which leader do we represent?" Prince Vegeta asked Bulma.

"Neither and all of them. Since my company is Capsule Corp, they need me to remain impartial so that it remains fair." Bulma replied with a grin.

"Isn't it slightly suspicious that you're here with a bunch of fighters that don't represent anyone?" Prince Vegeta asked in a toneless voice. Since he was raised to be a King, this kind of situation would be seen as suspicious to him.

"Not when I'm dating one of them." Bulma smirked, eyes travelling in adoration to Yamcha making the two Sayians roll their eyes.

While neither of the Sayians knew quite how smart Bulma was nor how important she was on this planet, they couldn't deny that she was a very valuable asset in any situation. However her temper and choice in best friend (A one hot tempered Chi Chi) made it really hard to be around her longer than what was absolutely necessary and both whole heartedly agreed that Yamcha deserved what he got.

"Alright boys, listen up." Gohan started clearing his throat. All of them had gathered in an out of the way spot and had waited for the two older men to came back with their instructions.

"There are going to be elimination rounds before the actual tournament. After which, in the tournament you'll be paired up against fighters from all three sectors. However you won't know who these fighters are since they will not be in the elimination rounds. We can guess who they'll be. Piccolo junior, Mai, and those Red Ribbon androids." Master Roshi explained. Every one of the humans grit their teeth in controlled anger while the Sayians looked just a little lost.

"Don't forget the crane bastards." The usually silent (except when he's complaining and being negative) fat human pointed out, making Krillen go pale.

"Tien Shinhan, and that little freak Chiaotzu. That Master Shen just might fight as well." Yamcha muttered darkly.

"I'm more concerned about the Red Ribbon Generals. I sure which Chi Chi's dad were here." Krillen muttered looking down.

"Chi Chi's dad?" Kakarot asked in curiosity.

"Yeah, the Ox King. Man that guy was powerful, but they all agreed to make an example of him and lock him away. Most of us think that's why Chi Chi has such a temper." Krillen informed Kakarot slyly, giving cautious glances at Chi Chi.

Kakarot said nothing but he tucked this information away from later examination. After all, no one deserved that fate.

The people fighting in the tournament for the resistance were Krillen, Yamcha (Much to Prince Vegeta and Kakarot's amusement) Chi Chi, Kakarot and Prince Vegeta. They didn't want to put the fat guy in since he whined about having to do so much work. Prince Vegeta didn't even bother to remember his name. Chi Chi was with the Prince in representing Gohan, not that either were very happy about that.

Bulma was just pleased to see Prince Vegeta wearing the jacket she'd given him. It really did suit him even if he did complain about flimsy human clothing. Kakarot had to say that he agreed on that one.

"We should get going." Gohan mused, heading towards a building where a lot of tension was seeping from. Prince Vegeta and Kakarot knew that tension well, had grown up in it. It was the tension of too many fighters in one place, all trying to prove silently that they were the best. Too bad for them the minute the Sayians stepped into the room they all became insignificant by comparison.

All glares turned to them as they entered the room. Bulma had gone with the other none fighters to procure a good spot in the stands. She blew a kiss to a very embarrassed Yamcha, which everyone saw, only further adding to the amusement of the Sayians.

"Well, well, well. You fools came back again. I suppose someone has to come in last." An arrogant voice behind them sneered. Prince Vegeta merely raised an eyebrow, not really interested in the weak power level behind him.

"What do you want Tien Shinhan?" Yamcha growled. This human really needed to learn when it was simply better to keep him mouth shut. Arrogance, after all, hated to be ignored.

"Just checking out the competition, or lack thereof. I got a free pass into the tournament. Guess you morons should have chosen sides when you had the chance." Tien smirked.

"Oh, and who do you recommend we choose, you?" Prince Vegeta asked pretending to be considering the idea.  
>"You know what they say, you can't beat the best, join them."<p>

At this the Prince laughed, letting his own arrogance leak through into that chuckle. Unlike Tien Shinhan though, this was the arrogance of a born Prince. The human stood no chance. "Where I came from, if you can't beat the best, then you just beat the shit out of them till you are the best."

"I never knew Gohan to take on such barbaric students." A smaller, more stoic voice stated from behind the taller crane student.

"What can I say, I'm a work in progress. The only man has his work cut out for him. When you got talent, you got talent." Prince Vegeta said mockingly, waving a hand in the air in a mockery of portraying a regal air.

"What you boys say we leave the fighting for the ring?" Chi Chi stated sweetly. Her face a picture of polite friendliness. Kakarot subtly brushed his hand against the Prince's back, letting him know that he agreed with this statement.

A whistle was blown somewhere and every fighter in the room, most of them wearing something that stated their loyalties, looked to see a small nervous monk holding a clip board. In fact there appeared to be a whole group of them.

That appeared to be the signal to begin. They were called up at random, several fights taking place at once. Kakarot and Prince Vegeta were actually having a conversation the whole time. It wasn't one that was out loud, it was a more subtle one with movements and body language.

Most of the fighters were poor, even in human standards so it wasn't a surprise when all the resistance fighters made it to the actual tournament. There were some others but Kakarot and the Prince decided that they wouldn't be a problem. However they did note that the humans with them just might face a few problems.

* * *

><p>"The first match is between Krillen and Man-wolf." One of the little monks announced.<p>

Krillen rose an eyebrow at his opponent but entered the ring. It appeared that Man-Wolf was in fact representing Emperor Pilaf.

Prince Vegeta and Kakarot had great fun laughing hysterically as the match progressed. It wasn't that Krillen was a bad fighter, it was more that Man-Wolf was a terrible fighter. And there was the laughable speed that they both moved at. Apparently it was considered fast by the humans, which only made the Sayians laugh more.

"You should show some respect. That's your teammate down there." Both the Sayians had taken residence atop the roof of the tournament building so they didn't have to listen to Yamcha whine.

They both turned to see a being profoundly different from the humans below them. He wasn't looking at them. He was watching the match.

"Oh, we weren't laughing at Krillen. We were laughing at the other guy." Kakarot chuckled.

"He's made progress since the last tournament, but then you would not know that. You're not from around here."

"Well, I hate to be the one to call the kettle black, you're not exactly native either, Namek." Prince Vegeta scoffed.

"I was born here, but my father was not. You two are not human and were not born here. I'd say you are the ones my father is looking for. However I won't turn you in. I've been itching for a good fight and I hope to face one of you." The Namek replied, his voice almost bored.

"You might have bitten off more than you can chew." Prince Vegeta warned, but not in a threatening way. More like he was stating a fact. "We just want what was taken from us, but we're not below simply taking it by force. We've decided to play by your rules, for now."

"The swords."

"Yes. You are Piccolo Junior, I presume." Kakarot replied at the Namek's guess. Kakarot's reply was an inclination of the head.

"Don't look now, but baldy just might lose." Prince Vegeta muttered.

"Krillen! If you lose I'm not helping you with your technique!" Kakarot yelled. It appeared that whatever agreement the two had made before hand was very important to the bald human since he won his match in a speedy fashion with a level of skill he had not previously displayed.

"What the hell did you promise him?" Prince Vegeta asked blinking at Kakarot.

"He's trying to perfect a technique and I said I'd help him out after the tournament. He must be very eager." Kakarot replied with a grin.

The next match was Piccolo Junior against someone called Tambourine. Piccolo Junior frowned but went to the ring. A winged-scaled creature entered the ring as well before spitting on the floor in disgust and surrendering.

"What was that all about?" Kakarot asked Piccolo Junior when he returned without even blinking at the other.

"He's my older brother but we don't get along."

Brother? They looked nothing alike, not to mention that the other didn't even look like a Namek.

Kakarot perked up in surprise when his name was called and hopped down to the ring. His opponent was someone called General White.

"Hay! Kakarot, end this quickly, I just heard something about free food." Prince Vegeta yelled before the match could even begin.

"Be right there!" Kakarot yelled in excitement before turning to his annoyed opponent. The announcer started the match and Kakarot threw one punch, eager to end this match quickly. He grinned when the other went flying straight out the ring and fell onto the floor. Kakarot bowed to the announcer before heading back to the Prince. "What was that about free food?"

And there was free food. There was a whole hall of it. The two were cautious though. Their names could have been called at any time, especially the Prince.

"I thought we were supposed to be watching their techniques and learning how to fight?" Kakarot grumbled around the food in his mouth.

"Hn. Like there's anything to learn. Did you see how slowly they gather their energy and the idiots still manage to get hit. The way I see it, we already have the best fighters from this planet in front of us." Prince Vegeta replied with a huff.

At that moment they heard the announcement. Prince Vegeta was to fight against Tien Shinhan. It seemed the Gods had a sense of humour after all.

The Prince smirked as he walked towards the ring where Tien Shinhan was already waiting. This was going to be fun.

As he stepped into the ring, he froze. Something wasn't right. Kakarot shit over to him, stepping into the ring as well. His face was pale as his eyes searched the sky.

"How did I miss this, how did _we_ miss this?" Kakarot asked, his voice bordering on panic.

Kakarot and the Prince walked further into the ring, trying to get a sense of the Ki just teasing the edges of their senses. They both ignored the humans around them, trying to get their attention. They hardly heard the annoyed tones that were quickly becoming angry.

They heard it though when everything went deathly quiet.

Kakarot's face paled and their tails instinctively tightened but other than that, neither of them showed signs of their surprise.

Instead, as carefully and as casually as they could, the two turned around to face the five or so new comers in the tournament.

"I thought you were dead . . . father." Prince Vegeta said, his voice and face completely void of any emotion.


	26. Chapter 26 Progression

**Ohkay firstly those power levels are crazy. Has anyone ever seen the Dragon Ball wiki page? It's a little wacked out so if I get the power levels wrong, my bad. XD**

**Also I had trouble with this chapter because I wasn't sure how to make Vegeta and Kakarot react to the news. Anger is a given for our lovable Prince, but what about Kakarot? **

**I hope I got it right. I'm not one hundred with this chapter and considering how long it took to update you should know that I wrote it and rewrote it a dozen times. The pressure I tell you.**

Chapter 26

Prince Vegeta and Kakarot were both currently reeling with shock but both had learned not to show emotions when faced with the King and his elite guard. Instead they reeled inside, silently.

Kakarot knew he was supposed to be over joyed that there were survivors, that they were not alone but he couldn't shake the feeling that they had done something wrong and were about to get into a lot of trouble.

"How?" Prince Vegeta managed to ask.

"We almost didn't make it. Bardock was able to get us out of there just in time." King Vegeta replied.

Kakarot glanced at the elites with him, unconsciously searching for his father. Was he there? No. Bardock was not among the five that were there but, but that didn't mean anything right? Not all of the survivors would come here right?

"What are you doing here?" King Vegeta asked, his voice toneless.

"Isn't it obvious, I'm trying to win a tournament." Prince Vegeta sneered, falling back onto his arrogance.

He received a sharp left hook in reply. Prince Vegeta allowed his head to snap to the side, allowed his father to be angry without retaliation.

"You should be training! Not playing with these pathetic weaklings!" King Vegeta roared, his anger no longer in control.

Ahh, so that's what they had done wrong. Now Kakarot understood. It had appeared to the Sayians that they were not taking the destruction of their race very seriously. How wrong they were.

"Who says I want to avenge our race?!" Prince Vegeta yelled back, his purpose was to hurt because he didn't know how else to handle his emotions. So he was going to lash out and Kakarot knew better than to stand in his way.

"You are the Sayian Prince! It's your duty, your destiny to destroy all those that oppose us!"

Prince Vegeta laughed cruelly. "Oh that's rich! You mean I'm supposed to clean up your mess. If being Prince means that I have to inherit your screw up then you can take your bloody title and shove it up your arse."

Kakarot moved then. He stepped behind the Prince, wrapping an arm around his chest and pulling him back so that he could whisper in the other's ear, "Leave it be, Prince. He's hurt and like you he knows not how to deal with it. Don't be angry at him, be angry with me instead. Had it not been for my injuries then we would be training."

"It's not your fault. I was the one who suggested this tournament."

Prince Vegeta and King Vegeta had been yelling at each other in the Sayian language. Kakarot and whispered to him in the Earthlings' language.

Prince Vegeta slowly pulled away from Kakarot, conveying to him that it was ohkay to let him go now. Instead of facing his father he walked out of the ring. As he passed Tien Shinhan he smirked but the action did not reach his eyes. "Looks like it's your lucky day."

"Don't walk away from me!" King Vegeta fumed storming after the Prince.

_I will not get angry. I will not get angry. I will not get angry. . . _

Prince Vegeta was trying very hard to convince himself that he simply would not get angry and so far he figured he was doing a good enough job. After all he hadn't hit or destroyed anything yet.

"We don't have time to play games Vegeta!" King Vegeta threaten, his anger finally settling on rage.

Prince Vegeta simply inclined his head, continuing to ignore his father. He did mutter under his breath that he wasn't playing games, not really caring if his father heard him or not.

"Vegeta!"

"What?!" Prince Vegeta had been intending to just walk away but the King wouldn't hear of it. His intentions not to get mad were suddenly very farfetched ideas.

"I'm trying to tell you that you need to start taking your training more seriously than what you ever have."

"I am taking it seriously. If you must know, we were trying to learn some new styles since the Sayian style is already known to Frieza's men." Prince Vegeta snapped.

"Well you better learn faster. I don't know what your power level is. In fact I need you to demonstrate it right now, both of you." King Vegeta pressed. Something in his tone prevented the younger Sayians from refusing as they usually did. He was uncharacteristically serious right now, lacking his usual arrogance.

"Fine." Prince Vegeta stated before slowly allowing his power to climb higher, trying not to cause too much damage. Kakarot followed his lead and allowed his own power to snap back to where it was supposed to be. No matter how absently they suppressed their power, no matter how unconsciously they did it, it was still something that wasn't quite natural.

The numbers of five scouters rose steadily higher. Three were focused on the Prince while the other two were focused on Kakarot. They knew from the looks of shock that they had surpassed the level that they had ever shown the other Sayians before.

Both the Prince and Kakarot took note of where the other's power was when the scouters could no longer measure their Ki. They could then guess at what level they were since they had to know the value of Ki if they wanted to fool anyone.

"I'd say that yours is about 60 000, maybe more." Prince Vegeta mused.

"Yours is almost the same as mine, only higher. Probably 65 000, maybe closer to 70 000." Kakarot replied.

"So effectively, we can beat the crap out the Ginyu but not Frieza."

"Oh hell no. Captain Ginyu is higher than this. We're lucky if we can keep up with Burter." Kakarot replied.

"Well you'd better get a move on. As incredible as this is, it's not enough. Frieza knows we're here." King Vegeta commented when he'd finally gotten over his shock.

* * *

><p>"I don't get it." Bulma said, blinking in confusion at the Prince and Kakarot.<p>

"What's not to get? We can't be in your tournament. So we're just going to have to end it sooner." Prince Vegeta huffed.

"No, no. I got that part and honestly I never expected you two to last as long as you did but what I don't get is that." Bulma replied shaking her head and gesturing with her hands as she spoke before finally pointing at the five grumpy Sayians still standing in the ring.

"Oh, that's my father and his lap dogs. I swear if there isn't a single female with him I'm going to kill him." Prince Vegeta grumbled, "Actually on second thought, if there is only one female with him I feel sorry for her."

Kakarot snickered at the thought. "So what's going to happen is that we're going to take the swords and take care of your problem." Kakarot explained, "I estimate that it shouldn't take more than five minutes. We don't have time to mess around with them."

Three minutes later all the 'leaders' of planet Earth were sprawled in the centre of the ring with Kakarot and the Prince happily strapping their respective swords in place. The Prince had chosen the black one and naturally Kakarot had taken the red one. Somehow it just seemed right that way, he couldn't explain it, only that it did.

"Do what the hell you want with them. We have a few things that need to be tended to." Prince Vegeta said dismissively before walking to his father and barking at him to get moving. Kakarot bowed to Bulma before whispering happily, "He likes your place too much to be gone for long."

Bulma could only watch as the seven Sayians quickly disappeared in the blue and white sky. She did notice that King Piccolo's son, Piccolo Junior, was not among the unconscious bodies in the tournament ring. Was that by mistake or choice? Either way, she hoped it did not become a problem.

* * *

><p>Kakarot tried to seek out ki signals ahead of them, tried to find another Sayian signal before they landed wherever it was they were going but he came up with nothing.<p>

Did that mean there weren't any others?

No, he couldn't really sense the King and the other four Sayians with them and they were flying right next to the elites. At least that's what he told himself to keep the hope there, alive.

"Kakarot, why do these swords feel like you?" Prince Vegeta asked.

"Well they can store ki so when I got them I put my ki in them." Kakarot explained sheepishly.

"Hn. Good idea. It'll come in handy later." Prince Vegeta replied with a smirk.

"You're just glad that you don' t have to put any ki in them." Kakarot said with a knowing grin.

The positively devilish grin he got in return only made him smile. He couldn't argue with that. His relationship with the Prince was a strange one. He was no longer sure what it was called and he was no longer concerned by that. They weren't _friends_, per say, but they weren't _mates_. They were too close to be _just friends_ but _not close enough_ to be mates.

Still, he wondered how the Prince would react to the thoughts in his mind. He'd said he had wanted Kakarot for a while now, that he was just waiting for him to grow up but Kakarot was grown up so why was he still waiting? Did he want Kakarot to make the first move? Hadn't that been what he'd been doing just before they found out about the tournament, making the first move?

The Prince had pulled away though. Not roughly, or in any negative way for that matter but _away_ all the same. Was Kakarot supposed to be more obvious, more dominant? He was sure the Prince would be the dominant one but now he was starting to question that.

"Kakarot, stop thinking so hard. I can practically see the smoke coming out of your ears." Prince Vegeta smirked when Kakarot jumped at his words, which was actually more of a mid-air twitch than an actual jump.

Kakarot found himself going a deep red as he tried desperately not to let his thoughts show on his face. The Prince had always said he was worse than an open book, he was more like a loud speaker. No one had to read his emotions, he practically announced them.

"Sorry I was just wondering how many other Sayians there are, and why I can't sense them." Kakarot replied. This wasn't really a lie. He had wondered about it but very, very briefly.

"Bardock did something, or rather bought something with him in the hopes that it would hide our trail but it didn't work." One of the elites answered.

"Can you fly any faster?" Prince Vegeta complained.

He was met with five glares. Apparently they didn't like knowing exactly how much stronger then themselves their Prince and his oddball was. Sure they'd all known he was powerful but they'd all assumed it was about the same level as the pink beach ball and the green pretty boy. Never in a million years had the Ginyu Force been an option. Sayians just were not used to having so much power.

Kakarot was ignoring the glares and tension. He was too busy trying to figure out if that previous statement meant his father was with them. There was only one way to find out. The Prince was so right! This was almost a snail pace and it was a torturous one at that.

"Arg just keep flying till you get to some forest." The King snapped, seeing the skittishness in both the younger Sayians. They were both very eager to know who else had survived.

The words had barely left his mouth before the two were shooting off, faster than the elite Sayians could truthfully follow. It was a moment of mixed emotions for the King. On one had it was pride and . . . _hope_. Perhaps they had a chance against Frieza after all. But on the other hand there was envy and jealousy. It was in his Sayian nature and he couldn't help it, only try to work around it.

* * *

><p>"DADDY!" Kakarot yelled. The eighteen year old really was getting too big to call anyone that, let alone the scar Sayian that looked just like him.<p>

Too big or not, Kakarot hardly cared. His eyes were wide and shinning in his happiness and the Prince stood back, allowing Kakarot his happiness. Why couldn't his reunion with his father be like this?

Prince Vegeta shifted, noticing a familiar shock of long black spikes. "Hn, so he managed to drag you to this mud ball too huh?" The Prince asked and the other seemed shocked at eve being addressed at all.

"Yes. After he'd dragged me out of the regen-tank and shoved me in a space pod he went after you two. Apparently he was focusing on the people who'd have the greatest chance of beating Frieza. I don't see how I fit into that category." Radditz replied shifting uncomfortably.

"Don't underestimate the emotions Kakarot feels for you." Prince Vegeta stated confidently and only managing to confuse Radditz. What did Kakarot's feelings have to do with it?

Turned out there were about twenty Sayians and there was thankfully more than one female, but there were still less of them than that of the males and they seemed to have banded together. Prince Vegeta gave icy glares to any of the Sayians' who's eyes lingered a little too long and a little too leeringly for his tastes.

Leaving Kakarot to his family, since he'd dragged a reluctant Radditz into the conversation as well, Prince Vegeta walked over to the six females. They all stiffened but did not leave as they had with the other males.

"Nice clothing, Prince." One, the strongest, said with a bow.

"Flimsy crap but it is somewhat comfortable. You should see what the women of this world wear." Prince Vegeta said with a smirk, thinking of Bulma's choice in clothing. He figured that if anything the Sayian females just might go for something Chi Chi would wear. That's if you could get them out of their armour.

"Is there something we could do for you Prince?"

"Yes. Don't let any of these fools get you with talk of continuing the Sayian race. If you couple with them, do because you want to not because you feel you have to and if the King argues send him my way and I'll sort him out." Prince Vegeta stated very seriously even if he was going red, his tail twitching around his waist.

One of them giggled, before another said just as seriously as the Prince had, "They've been ordered not to touch us as of yet. The King wishes for you to choose your mate."

Prince Vegeta blinked once before the words really registered. He noticed the looks of hurt when his expression darkened.

"Not that you're not desirable females or anything, it's just that I don't have time for mates right now. I'm supposed to be killing a Lizard." Prince Vegeta stated quickly, "Perhaps we can continue this discussion after I achieve my goal. Otherwise feel free to move ahead without me."

He knew that by saying that last part the females could be claimed by other males and he'd never get a mate. He also knew that this matter could turn very violent. None of the weaker Sayian males would get a Sayian partner. Would the King condone a mixing of the blood? This planet was the closest thing to being compatible with Sayian genetics. He'd never seen such potential before. Even if there was a mixing of the DNA this would cause a separation among the surviving Sayians. Half breeds and pure Sayians. It simply would not do.

"Stop thinking so hard. I can practically see the smoke coming out of your ears." Kakarot giggled from behind him.

Prince Vegeta turned to face the bright orange clad warrior. Those clothes really were very bright.

"That saying is familiar. I believe the human term 'copyright' comes to mind." Prince Vegeta pretended to muse. His eyes looking at nothing in the distance as his finger touched his chin thoughtfully.

"And how are you going to punish me?" Kakarot asked playing along and looking remorseful.

"Oh I don't know, the possibilities are endless." The Prince raised a hand glowing with Ki before he directed that hand at Kakarot who remained perfectly still. He knew there wasn't enough power in the blast to actually hurt him.

When the Prince fired the gathering energy Kakarot yelped and held up the arm with the gravity bracelet on it so that it would not get damaged.

When the Ki dissipated Kakarot was left standing in the pants and boots of the orange outfit with the top half of his body smoking. At first nothing happened but then the orange fabric simply disintegrated, falling to the ground like dust.

"Awww it was kind of growing on me." Kakarot whined staring down at his bare chest mournfully. The strap of the sword and the sword itself was unharmed, and looked odd when contrasted to Kakarot's bare skin.

"Flimsy human clothing." Was all the Prince would say but inside he was smirking and enjoying the view.

Prince Vegeta narrowed his eyes when he felt Kakarot gathering his Ki. "Kamehameha!" Kakarot sure could gather his energy fast. He launched the blue sphere at the prince who could only go up to avoid the blast.

Kakarot however grew panicky, his eyes wide before he disappeared from sight only to reappear in front of the Sayian females, his back to his own blast. He stood firm as the blast hit him dead on, his face twisted slightly with pain, but otherwise he didn't make a sound.

"I didn't think you'd put that much energy into it." Prince Vegeta huffed catching the younger Sayian as he fell forwards.

"Wasn't that much. Just not used to taking hits without my armour." Kakarot murmured, "Besides I think the strength of the Kamehameha is that it doubles, maybe triples the attack strength input."

Kakarot pushed away from the Prince's support, standing on his own but wobbling slightly. Prince Vegeta frowned and spun him around, keeping a tight grip on his upper arms. Kakarot's back was red and starting to swell. In the middle where the blast had hit there were scratches that were bleeding slightly and burn marks that wept plasma.

"Come on you idiot." Prince Vegeta sighed draping an arm across his shoulders and taking off into the air.

Bulma appeared to be expecting them. Her eyes widened in concern when she saw Kakarot.

"The idiot took his own blast. Should have knocked it away." Prince Vegeta growled in annoyance.

Bulma led the way to their infirmary and started to tend to the raw wound on the younger Sayian's back. What hurt Bulma the most wasn't the red and damaged skin she was gently cleaning and treating. It was the pale streaks of evidence that this had happened before that got her attention as well as the utter silence and stillness that descended over Kakarot, not flinching or making a sound to show his pain.

What kind of a life had they been living?

* * *

><p>"Prince?" Kakarot's voice was quiet as he approached the older Sayian, who was sitting on the floor, one arm draped over a raised knee with the other arm supporting his weight, anchoring him to the floor as he leaned back on it.<p>

The room they were in was dark, the sky outside peeking through the large windows and showing the stars. There was a bright moon in the sky even if it wasn't a full one allowing moonlight to spill into the room and cast everything into an eerie black and white visage. Shadows were so much deeper and what little could be seen was shown in an almost sickly looking paleness. The scene was almost depressing.

Adding to it all Kakarot could sense the Prince's turbulent emotions, raging under the thoughtful mask he showed the uncaring world.

So much pain and anger, so much confusion and helplessness. What was bothering the Prince so much?

Kakarot touched his shoulder, feeling the skin bunch and twitch as the muscle moved. The Prince had removed the jacket and shirt, sitting in much the same state as Kakarot currently was in. Kakarot didn't add anymore contact then that, didn't have to.

"Why now? Why did he have to come back now?" Prince Vegeta's whisper was hoarse. He been in here a while.

"He's a king. He does what he must in order to ensure his people survive, even if that means the life of his own son." Kakarot replied softly. He knew not what was bothering the other, only that it caused him pain and Kakarot couldn't stand it.

He moved quickly then, so that he was kneeling in front of the Prince. Wide eyes met distant ones only there was no innocence in this gaze. Kakarot was utterly serious, his eyes burning with that determined fire the Prince had grown to depend on.

"I won't let that happen. I won't let Frieza have you." Kakarot whispered, his breath ghosting over the Prince's lips showing the other just how close Kakarot was.

Neither was sure who closed that distance, neither cared. All that mattered was the sudden burning desire to have the other close, closer still. In fact it wasn't sudden at all. It had been there for a long time, suppressed and ignored.

Well they were listening now, obeying and giving in because they wanted it . . . needed it. Both needed to feel that the other was alright, _there_. Safe.

The Prince groaned and made to pull away when Kakarot's tongue flicked in a particularly pleasurable way but Kakarot's arm snaked around the Prince's waist and pulled him closer, stopping his retreat. "Not this time Prince." He breathed against the other's lips.

"Kakarot." The name was said on a tortured groan, but this torture wasn't pain in the usual kind, it was the pain of denying his desire for the other.

"I'm not that innocent Prince. I know how these things work." Kakarot chuckled, his chest rumbling with the action. The sound was surprisingly deep, husky. Prince Vegeta pulled back in surprise, dark eyes looking at this _adult_ in front of him.

"When did you get so mature?" he breathed, eyes closing in his attempt to search his memories to find the missed occasion. When had large innocent eyes held the spark or desire that now roared in Kakarot's eyes? When did that happy carefree voice hold the croak of husky want, need? When had playful gazes lingered too long and too heated?

"Does it matter? I am and that's all that matters." Kakarot replied resuming the kiss, letting his actions do all his talking for him.

"Be careful what you start Kakarot cause you're about to get it." The Prince growled shifting almost violently so that Kakarot was sprawled on the floor beneath him.

"Finally." Kakarot smirked lifting a knee that brushed against the Prince's groin.

Control. What control? It was gone the moment Kakarot had challenged his dominance. And the Sayian had! So blatantly. Worse still, he was still doing it, spurring his Prince into action.

When the Prince bit into the skin on Kakarot's neck, where his pulse had been hammering, Kakarot cried out and arched up. The action made pounding erections meet and two Sayians go very very still. It didn't last long, too frantic, too desperate.

"I don't suppose you want to argue now over who's going to be on top?" Prince Vegeta asked in strained breathless huffs.

"Neither." Kakarot growled pushing the Prince up so that he could sit. He immediately startled to work on the button and zip of the Prince's pants.

However, much to the Prince's dismay and confusion the younger Sayian only undid the fastening, leaving the pants where they were.

He smirked at the Prince before ducking his head and licking a nipple. There was a surprised gasp from the Prince. He'd never explored much with the Sayian females, or rather he'd never let himself lose that much control. He seen to their needs and that was all. They didn't do anything to him because he would not allow it.

Kakarot however would not let the Prince do the same. He was determined to explore. He was terribly curious after all.

Kakarot's tail was no longer around his waist and he didn't bother to keep it in check letting it do its own thing. Prince Vegeta couldn't be more surprise when the dark furry appendage wrapped around his wrist, the tip caressing his arm. This was a level of intimacy he hadn't allowed himself to experience before. It seemed almost typical that he'd do so with Kakarot.

"You're thinking too much." Kakarot said so quietly that the Prince wondered if he thought anything louder might shatter this, whatever it was.

"How can I not?"

"Simple. Feel. Don't think."

The Prince found himself pushing at Kakarot's shoulders so that he was lying on the thick carpet. "Oh, you mean like this?" The Prince placed his hands on Kakarot's hips, slowly moving them lower smoothing over the heat of his skin. The soft fabric of the orange pants was hardly an adequate barrier against the Prince's own body heat and because of this Kakarot could hardly ignore the pathway of those hands as they traced over his thighs, coming to rest under his knees. Kakarot's breathing spiked when the Prince used his hold on the other to pull him closer.

Those hands were moving again, travelling up and over quivering muscles. Kakarot couldn't stop the cry as calloused thumbs brushed his nipples.

"Come now Kakarot. I've barely done anything." The Prince's tone was absolutely devilish. He didn't miss the double meaning in those words either. Kakarot was squirming, trying to get some release from the throb in his groan. He realised that the Prince was completely right. They hadn't done all that much and yet he was close to begging.

"You know what. I've decided that there's time to feel later." Kakarot panted when those hands moved lower. He swore the Prince was teasing him, swore the other knew all the right places to touch and was purposefully avoiding them.

"What's wrong with now?" Prince Vegeta asked innocently before he dipped down and kissed Kakarot. Kakarot put his hand on the Prince's neck, fingers automatically threading through the soft strands of hair.

Prince Vegeta felt that smirk rather than saw it before Kakarot arched up and wrapped his legs around the Prince's waist using both as a means to bring their groins together.

Both let out strangled gasps, too sharp for sound to have even had a hope in escaping.

"I see your point." Prince Vegeta panted.

Kakarot grinned before slipping out of the Prince's hold and quickly undoing the material around his waist. He deposited the orange material across the room hearing it thump somewhere adequately far away. He was pleased to hear and accompanying thump.

Kakarot's tail was still securely wrapped around Prince's wrist. It had changed the length and tightness of its hold to accommodate the actions thus for. Now that tail was tugging the Prince to the bed that had been utterly ignored till now.

The Prince winced as he remembered the raw burn on Kakarot's back and tugged at the other so that he was climbing on the bed after the Prince. Prince Vegeta grinned before tugging further so that the younger was straddling his waist while he was leaning against the pillows.

"I rather like this position." Prince Vegeta grinned, his hands still on Kakarot's waist allowing him to swivel them so that Kakarot was moved lower down and throbbing erection brushed throbbing erection making them both groan.

"Why haven't we ever done this before?" Kakarot asked breathlessly, his hands on the Prince's shoulder as though he needed the anchor.

He received a chuckle in reply and another tug of the hips, repeating the previous action. "Since you're so impatient I guess we'll take care of a rather pressing problem now. The moon isn't even at its peak. We still have a lot of time left to us. I can delegate. After all what kind of Prince would I be if I couldn't?"

He received only a sharp cry in response.

* * *

><p>Kakarot cracked his eyes open, quickly shutting them again as sunlight burned them. He was warm, and even though he'd just woken up he was quite content to just remain in bed all day.<p>

"Bout time you woke up." The Prince chuckled and from the rumble in the pillow Kakarot was lying on he assumed he was lying on the Prince's chest.

"What time is it?" Kakarot croaked out his reply. His throat was hoarse from their previous night's endeavours as well as still thick with sleep.

"Bulma just got up so it can't be that late." Prince Vegeta replied, stretching out under Kakarot before pulling him close again.

"We should go train." Kakarot mumbled very close to falling asleep again.

"Actually I want food first." Prince Vegeta said with a smirk knowing exactly what was going to happen next. He had prepared for it.

As Kakarot shot up, at least he attempted to the Prince's tail around his waist caused him to flop back down into the cocoon of warmth in the Prince's hold.

"Shower first. Then food."

**Sorry about the lemon that wasn't. I'm not the best writer at such scenes so I tried to focus on the emotion behind the act and the growth of the relationship and each character individually. **


	27. Chapter 27 Training

**Sorry for the wait guys. Had to sort out a few plot bunnies in my head. They were all arguing and I had to be the decider. Imagine that. **

**Thanks for all the reviews! It's always fun to read. XD We're almost done though, so hang in there guys. **

**Chapter 27**

There were blushing glances as the two entered the room where they could sense the humans. Prince Vegeta was perfectly at ease with the attention, his gait almost feline and very much possessive as he walked into the room.

Kakarot however was blushing. Prince Vegeta didn't see why, since after the things that little minx had instigated last night he really had no reason to be blushing at all. But it was incredibly sweet.

Kakarot certainly wasn't as innocent as he had led everyone to believe and the Prince was thinking of more ways to elicit those delicious screams from the other once again.

"Morning you two." Bulma blushed. "You know where breakfast is."

As the two Sayians walked to the kitchens, Kakarot leaned over to the Prince and whispered as quietly as he could, "Were we really that loud?"

"I don't know about me, but you certainly were." Prince Vegeta smirked pulled Kakarot closer and kissing him for no other reason than just because he could. He was delighted by this turn of events and was thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. Who knew that Kakarot and the Prince could actually gain this level of singularity.

Bulma was also surprised. The two had been close before, almost too close to be just friends as Kakarot had insisted. Bulma however knew now that it had been completely true. She could tell that the previous night had been their first together in that way.

Why? Simply because they were different now. One moved and the other moved with him. One smiled and the other smiled seconds after even if they weren't looking at each other. It was like they just _knew_. They were so close now it was almost like they had ceased to be two separate beings.

The Prince was also calmer, more at peace than what she'd ever seen him. He was content. Bulma would almost start to like him, if it weren't for the fact that she was happily dating Yamcha. The man might act like an idiot sometimes but he really was a sweet romantic at heart.

As usual the two Sayians inhaled their food at an alarming pace. Bulma shook her head, also taking note that the two were wearing their armour again. Did that mean they were going to train? It really couldn't surprise her if they were.

Her theories were proven when they two immediately sprang out the window upon successfully emptying every bowl in the kitchen. Bulma couldn't fight the fond smile even if she tried.

"Prince, there is something I wish to do before we begin our training. I know that we shouldn't allow ourselves to be distracted since our training is more important now than ever but I feel that this is something I have to do." Kakarot stated quietly as they stood on the front lawn.

The Prince watched him thoughtfully for a moment before sighing, "You mean you want to go and rescue the harpy's father."

Kakarot nodded enthusiastically. The Prince cocked his head before shooting into the air and Kakarot instantly followed. They already knew where the other was, due to Kakarot asking the little old man Gohan.

The Ox King was being held in a strong hold surrounded by lava. The only way in had been destroyed and the three once super powers of the Earth had fed the large man via a very unstable cable and small basket.

Finding the place wasn't all that hard. All they had to do was find the large jail in the middle of a volcano. Easy enough. The reason this place was so unassailable for the Z warriors was the intense heat tended to make them pass out before they could even get across. For the Sayians, heat was not that much of a problem.

They were very careful to keep a Ki bubble surrounding the gravity bracelets least they over heated. They were not oblivious to the dangers. If the technology should malfunction they could potentially die. They had to be careful. This was an advantage they couldn't afford to lose.

Kakarot saw the window where the food normally would have been sent through and darted through it. His world instantly went from bright reds, yellow and oranges to utter darkness. The heat did not diminish. In fact with the stone walls it seemed to increase. Where did one stand in here so that they did not burn and blister away?

Prince Vegeta landed next to him, charging a small amount of Ki in his palm so that they could see their way around. "This could be a test in endurance." Prince Vegeta muttered, the sweat dripping down his face even as he croaked out the statement. Neither could imagine living in here for very long even if they were generally geared towards heat.

"We should hurry. I do not like what this implies for the Ox King." Kakarot nearly whimpered.

They hurried through the small building. There were not many rooms but each room was as bare as the last and Kakarot wondered why they were there in the first place. Had there been other prisoners?

Kakarot sighed in relief when the blue light cast by the Prince's Ki revealed a large figure huddled in the centre of the room, head bowed into upraised knees. The Ox king had taken residence in the centre most room of the strong hold. It was cooler in here, not by much though. The walls were at the very least warm, rather than blistering hot.

"You get that side and I'll get this side." Prince Vegeta muttered grasping on of the large man's arms.

Kakarot nodded and obeyed. The man didn't even stir as they lifted him. The Prince raised a free hand and blasted the wall, clearly having no patience for finding a window that would have ultimately been too small in the first place.

Kakarot was content for now that he could hear the steady ba-bump of the Ox King's heart. That meant the man was alive. He'd hate to have come all this way only to have to return to Chi Chi with such devastating news.

They flew back to Capsule Corp. as fast as they dared. Too fast would not bode well for the large man who had been living in a perpetual sauna for the better part of three years. It was going to take a lot of adjusting for him to once again get used to the normal temperatures of this planet.

Bulma, with a stroke of luck, had been sunbathing when they landed back in the Capsule Corp. backyard. She squeaked her surprise as she fell to the floor. Horror, sadness and joy flitted across her face all at once but she was quick.

She scampered to her feet and rushed into the house and started screeching for the other Z warriors. Naturally Chi Chi was the first one to the door. She stood there, momentarily frozen before tears filled her usually hard eyes. She fell to her knees as she stared at her father who was still unconscious. This worried Kakarot.

"Chi Chi, could you get some water please?" Kakarot asked.

Chi Chi nodded before dashing into the house once again and returning with a large jug and glass.

Carefully the Sayians lowered the large human to the floor. They knew all too well what to do with dehydrated beings due to rising temperatures. They had trained an awful lot in the Rikki Desert. The Prince held up the large man's head while Kakarot poured water down his throat. It amazed him that the body automatically did what it needed to do, even while unconscious. The large man swallowed the water down, not really in great greedy gulps but he wasn't slow about it either.

Bulma returned followed by a frowning Yamcha who had a small brown pouch in his hands. The Sayians were confused by this but shrugged. They had just gotten the man out. It was up to the humans to care for him.

Prince Vegeta and Kakarot withdrew and Yamcha seemed to relax a great deal for that. Shrugging once again Kakarot took to the sky so that they could move to the indoor garden at the Capsule Corp. dome, leaving the humans to their task. He didn't pity them that was for sure. However the Sayians found themselves once again, amazed by the human will to survive, to make it even against all odds. By all rights, the Ox King should not have survived the harsh imprisonment. Yet he had. They found themselves considering if they should really count these beings as weak just because their Ki barely made a scouter activate.

Shoving all thoughts aside, the two stood in the indoor garden ignoring Bulma's father's strange pets. They were practically harmless in comparison to the animals of the Brutaliana Forest

"Alright Prince, let's put these things to the test." Kakarot chirped looking at the gravity bracelet.

"Well start with an increase of five and then see how that affects us. After that we can calculate just how much more we can take and start training under it immediately." Prince Vegeta replied already setting his own bracelet so that it was higher by five. The strain was evident instantly but not unmanageable.

"Fifty." Kakarot grunted. "Fifty times the Earth's natural gravity is what we should start with. I'd say that twenty-five is more preferable since we just might strain ourselves at fifty but we don't have the time for preferable."

"But we don't have the time to sit and heal either. It would be different if we had re-generation tanks but we don't so twenty-five it is. There's no use training if we're just going to work ourselves into a standstill since we won't be able to move." The Prince argued, already changing the settings.

Kakarot nodded and followed suit. Both their knees crumpled and they gasped for every breath they took. They understood that today was not going to be a spar, or even a kata. It was going to be a struggle just to get to their feet and stay on them, straining their muscles in the process. Later, when they could move more easily, they would start training with the swords. After all they'd gone to all that trouble just to get them, might as well use them.

* * *

><p>It was nearing sunset and all the Z warriors were lazing in the indoor garden, watching in silent awe as the Prince and Kakarot moved through a Sayian elite style kata. Even though they moved slowly enough for the Z warriors to watch, they could all see the strain the Sayians were placing on their bodies. The performance they demanded of themselves was suicidal.<p>

All day long they had pushed themselves over and over again, first to stand, then to remain standing and finally to move. Gohan was impressed by the progress they had made in only a single day. However the real test would be tomorrow. He wondered if their reckless training would mean that tomorrow they couldn't even stand with Earth's normal gravity which was ten times lighter than their own planet.

Kakarot's kata broke as his knees gave out. He was gasping and trying to stand once more when he felt the near crushing pressure begin to gradually lift. He stared at the bracelet in confusion, trying to understand where he might have broken it.

"I turned them off. I built in a safety switch so that if they did malfunction or something at least I'd have a remote." Bulma explained to the bewildered Sayians. "I'm sorry boys but I just couldn't watch you killing yourself any more today. I'd say that's about enough for one day don't you think. Besides, dinner's ready."

Bulma grinned at the last part but both panting Sayians could see that it was strained.

There was a light tapping sound that was followed by two others. Everyone looked up to see three shadows on the domed roof. The door to the sunroof opened and three Sayians dropped to the floor below.

"Ah, so I was right. You two are utter morons sometimes." A Sayian that looked just like Kakarot tsked.

"Hay Dad." Kakarot smiled tiredly, still lying on the floor.

"You should have started with 15, not 25." Radditz snickered.

"Hay. I want to see you do this, hairball." Prince Vegeta snapped but the venom was lost in his exhausted state.

"Hairball? I think I like this training. Makes you complacent." Radditz replied, his smirk widened.

"How did you know about it anyways?" Kakarot asked, as he finally managed to get into a sitting position.

"Bardock saw it. Kind of how he saw the destruction of our planet." The King muttered, watching his son thoughtfully as the Prince got to his feet and struggled to remain on his feet.

Radditz moved to support Kakarot, pulling his younger brother to his feet and an arm around his shoulders. The King moved to his son, his body tensing for any sort of attack the Prince should make. He knew his son and he knew the assistance would not be welcomed.

It was for that reason alone that the King didn't so much as support his son, but rather stopped him from falling when he took his first step. Weary eyes met his, a silent war raging inside the Prince's mind before he looked away, acceptance in his dark gaze. So he was accepting the King's help, for now.

King Vegeta didn't squander this opportunity and moved forward so that he could wrap an arm around the Prince's waist. Bardock seemed to be speaking to the blue haired female his son and sought out at that joke of a tournament. Was she a sexual partner of the Prince's?

The King knew of Prince Vegeta' words to the Sayian females they had bought with. He wasn't happy with them but the Prince was hardly in the condition to say something about it now, so he'd have to wait till the brat Prince had at least gotten some sleep. If he had said what he had in favour of this blue haired weakling, could he accept that? With so few Sayians left and Frieza as an impending reminder that the fight to life was far from over he supposed he shouldn't be picky.

However, his Pride was telling him that the bloodline had to remain pure. If only Bardock had had a daughter. That would have been a powerful union if that blasted son of his was anything to go on.

"Alright then, everything is settled." Bardock's voice filtered through his thoughts as the other Sayian appeared to finish with whatever conversation he'd had with the blue haired human. It really was an interesting colour. What would it do for the Sayians? That thought was quickly erased.

"Kakarot, Prince Vegeta. From now on I'm going to be supervising your training. You may be stronger but you don't have my experience." Bardock announced to the two groaning Sayians.

"No way. Your training is harsh. I watched you drill your team." Kakarot whined.

"No arguments! We got to train hard, and we've got train fast. We don't have time for screw ups and cry babies. The road you two are going down is headed towards both those two very fast. So suck it up." Bardock snapped much to Radditz's amusement.

"Whatever, can we just go eat now?" Prince Vegeta grumbled. He was taking this rather well. Perhaps that younger brat was better for him than what the King gave him credit for.

"You'll be eating with the other Sayians. Your absence was noted, Prince." King Vegeta stated calmly, slightly tightening his hold on the Prince.

"Can we just go." It wasn't really a question. The Prince was beginning to lose his patience

"By Bulma, by everybody. I'm sure we'll be back to visit sooner than you think." Kakarot yelled happily as Radditz rose through the sunroof but the usual volume was lost in the tiredness.

The King went next followed by Bardock, who said something else to the blue haired human before dashing into the air.

* * *

><p>"Kakarot. Follow my lead." Prince Vegeta whispered into the other Sayian's ear, quickly and silently so that no one else would notice.<p>

They were seated around a campfire, more of a bonfire really. The atmosphere was lively, almost primitive. It was as though the flickering flames called to something deeper inside themselves, something they had been ignoring for far too long.

Prince Vegeta stood, gazing into the flames for a moment as he waited for Kakarot to stand as well. Both had stripped down to their spandex pants and boots after their first helping of the meal, enjoying the cool air on their heated skin.

"Where are you going?" A Sayian asked, more in curiosity that guarding as he was supposed to be doing.

In reply Prince Vegeta pointed up. "Up?"

"Yeah, up. We want to know who can fly the highest before passing out from a lack of oxygen. We're pretty confident we'll regain consciousness before hit the floor. Just in case though, keep an eye on the skies, catch me first and leave him to hit the ground." Prince Vegeta clarified with a smirk.

Before anyone could protest the ludicrously of the statement Prince Vegeta shot straight up. Neither the Prince nor Kakarot truly had the strength to actually do what the Prince said but that wasn't what the Prince wanted to do.

When they were too high up to be heard, too high up to even be seen in the light made by the fire Prince Vegeta clamped a hand around Kakarot's booted ankle to stop his ascent.

"So what is it you really wanted to do?" Kakarot asked, hovering in place.

"This." Prince Vegeta breathed with a true smile before leaning in and kissing Kakarot.

"Ever wondered if altitude made a difference to the intensity of an orgasm?" Kakarot asked breathlessly when the Prince finally allowed him to pull away.

"I don't have to wonder. You're going to show me." Prince Vegeta smirked before pulling Kakarot closer again.

* * *

><p>Training under Bardock, wasn't harsh.<p>

It was brutal.

Yet neither could deny the results they were getting. Bardock knew what he was doing and the Prince found himself seeing the team leader that had gotten under Frieza's skin first hand. Nappa, as the Sayian army General, had truly had nothing on this Sayian. His battle experience was second to none and his strategies could only be beaten by Kakarot and even then it wasn't often.

Kakarot was simultaneously teaching the Prince a new and improved fighting style, a mixture of Earth and Sayian styles, while kicking his butt thoroughly with it. But he was learning it faster this way, if only not to get his ass so humiliatingly beaten.

Sword training was especially hard. They had never fought with weapons before but they found this to be different and Bardock insisted on it. Said the swords were special so they should be honoured as such. The Prince had argued that honouring them his way would be by placing them on the wall as very nice and valuable decorations. Bardock had smacked him upside the head, the only Sayian Kakarot had ever seen to get that right without being blown to pieces but Bardock seemed to have an uncanny knack for knowing just when to do it, and stated that true honour would be using them. The swords were weapons of war, not house decorations and should be honoured with the bitter sweet taste of blood not dust. The way he'd said it had made plenty of sense at the time.

Bardock was thoughtful enough not to train them around the other Sayians since he knew of the Prince's Pride, which he hadn't lost just redefined for Kakarot's benefit.

However, when Kakarot wasn't there that Pride bit back with a vengeance that made every Sayian around wish Kakarot had never left to do whatever it was he'd gone to do.

As days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, Prince Vegeta and Kakarot found it harder and harder to come up with believable excuses to sneak away. It wasn't always to give in to the burning desire they had for one another. Sometimes they simply wanted to be alone in each other's company.

The Prince was contemplating just announcing their relationship status so that he'd no longer have to lie just to be with Kakarot. It wasn't like an all male relationship was uncommon, some assignments were very long and there weren't any females around. Things happened.

But . . . he was a Prince, expected to continue the Vegeta line.

He couldn't even consider taking on a female mate for just such a purpose. The very thought made his stomach clench painfully and his throat swell closed.

They would have to say something somewhere along the line though. The Prince could tell that the secrecy was putting a strain on Kakarot. It hurt to watch.

"Prince?"

Prince Vegeta startled out of his thoughts at the sound of his title. He looked over his shoulder to see his father. With a sigh he stood, recognising the look on his face. He wanted to talk, privately.

"What do you want?" Prince Vegeta asked wearily. He was tired from training, Kakarot already in bed. As he'd promised Kakarot visited the humans regularly and just as often dragged the Prince with him. He hadn't this time though. The Prince's mood was too contemplative after seeing Kakarot's longing when he'd seen one of the females openly displaying her affection for her chosen mate.

"The time for battling Frieza draws near." King Vegeta began, turning away from his son.

"I know that. Better than you do." Prince Vegeta replied, his voice going quiet rather than angry.

"I wish for you to choose a mate, before then. Have an heir, before then." King Vegeta wasn't beating around the bush was he?

The Prince sighed with suppressed anger. He'd known this was coming. It was inevitable. What he hadn't expected was what the King said next.

"I don't doubt you, son. But should this battle be your last, I wish for there to be something of you left behind."

"What?"

"I may not have done right by you, raising you like I did. At the time I thought it was what was right for you, but I see now that I was wrong. I want . . . I want a great many things but for now, I wish for you to know the joy of bringing life into this universe. To begin to dream for your own child's future, to hope for them. There truly is no other joy like it." The King sighed in fond memory, his words soft and distant.

Prince Vegeta was shocked into silence at his father's words. He'd never seen his father like this before. A part of the man had died with his mother. Tarble did not share the same mother, yet that had never bugged the Prince. He wondered briefly where his little brother was but didn't dwell on it. He just hoped that wherever his little brother was, he was happy.

Besides Frieza didn't know where he was either and that made the Prince happy in a sadistic kind of way.

"I know of your relationship with Kakarot. It's hard to miss, even though you hide it well. You two are good together, too good. It'll make leaving him so much harder." The King sighed in sadness.

"What are you talking about?" The Prince finally managed to stutter out.

"If I am wrong, then forgive me. However, you know Kakarot better than his own family does. Tell me something, or don't but just think upon my words. Kakarot deserves more. He's not like other Sayians, or so the others say but they do not remember the time before the war." King Vegeta began, turning to look at his son.

"Before the war, before we discovered space travel and with it the iron clutches of Frieza, we lived a very different life. Fighting wasn't a way of life, a necessity, it was a passion. We lived instead for one another, a simply life. While we weren't as passive as Kakarot is, we were a lot like him. The need for power only came later." The King sighed softly, shoulders slumping from their proud posture to one more weary and exhausted.

"When I look at Kakarot I see a boy, yet he is more grown up then one would first believe. He's also the type to want a family, a child. You cannot give him that. He does not see it now, but in time, he'll notice how his bother for example has found a female and started a family. It'll hurt him deeply not to have one of his own but his love for you will cause him to not say a word of that pain as it gradually gets stronger, grows larger. He deserves better than that."

"You may not want to hear my words, and I do not desire an answer from you, but think on them. Is this really what is best for the other?"

As the King passed his son he squeezed the Prince's shoulder in silent comfort before walking away, going back to the other Sayians.

Prince Vegeta stood where his father had left him for hours afterwards. He remained there long after all other sounds of activity had died away. His mind was in a sick sort of limbo where everything made sense and nothing did.

His heart was breaking though. Even as he stood watching pale streaks of light in the sky, his heart was shattering. Words repeated themselves in his mind, words he'd never thought he'd hear his father say. Words he'd never thought would make this much sense to him, without meaning a thing at all. He was selfish. He wanted to shake his head and forget those words. He was breaking though, ripping himself to tiny hurting shreds.

His father was right.

**Please don't kill me. There always has to be drama though and right before a big fight, well it's always like that isn't it? **

**By the way if you guys have any questions, like I didn't really explain something properly or if I left something kind of hanging, just let me know and I'll either try to answer you directly or plop it into the story. **


	28. Chapter 28 Truthful lies or lying truths

**So I'm back at school which would be why this is taking so long, it's my senior year and things are getting crazy, well that and the fact that I actually did not have much enthusiasm in writing this chapter so it didn't really 'speak' to me. I mean come on, I spent the whole fic bringing them together. Tearing them apart is just so . . . . . mean. So this chapter is obviously shorter than it should be but being mean is suddenly a lot harder than it used to be. **

**Chapter 28**

Prince Vegeta didn't join Kakarot and Bardock for training the next day and no matter how hard Kakarot tried, he couldn't sense the Prince anywhere. He got the hint though and didn't try too hard to find him. The Prince didn't want to be found right now and Kakarot respected his need for space.

That didn't mean he didn't worry. He was concerned about the Prince because he'd never been separated from the other for so long he'd forgotten what it was like not to have the Prince by his side. Something must he bugging him and with the battle with Frieza so close they needed each other now more than ever.

But Kakarot would respect his need for space, for now. He'd let the Prince brood before he finally lost his patience and went in search of him, if only to knock some sense into his arrogant head.

"Pay attention Kakarot! This is a good lesson. In the heat of battle you don't have time to worry about the Prince." Bardock yelled from his position high above the ground.

Kakarot didn't have time to block the oncoming attack. His only consolation was the fact that his father didn't have the necessary reserves to really pack a wallop into it. As it was there was just enough Ki in the attack to singe a few tail hairs and sting like it was nobody's business.

Kakarot was currently heavily weighed down by the gravity bracelet. With its addition he was on the same level as his father. Kakarot hoped that whatever was bugging the Prince got sorted out soon, because at this rate he was going to fall behind.

Kakarot had taken to training his attacks with his sword. He tried various things. Some worked and others didn't. One of his favourites was to use his Ki on the sword to extend his blade's reach. Ki could be refined until it was sharper than a blade's edge and could cut more cleanly than a heated scalpel.

As it was his father almost never came out of a training session unscratched. Kakarot was in two minds about that. On one hand he was elated that he could actually land a blow on his father and that he was perfecting his attacks. On the other hand he was terrified that he hurt his father.

Bardock told him to stop holding back just because he was afraid that he might hurt him. He was never going to get anywhere if he kept pulling his punches and kicks.

Bardock sighed loudly when Kakarot failed to dodge yet another one of his attacks. He could see now that either he stopped the spar or it was going to be a very long and very pointless day.

"Kakarot, let's take a break." Bardock announced, saying the other's name so that he got his attention.

Kakarot glanced at his father's face, knowing that he was disappointed. He wasn't wrong.

"Dad, you know how you can sort of see the future?" Kakarot began as they landed and Bardock nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

"What do you see in my future, with the Prince?" Kakarot asked, his eyes large and expectant.

"It doesn't work that way Kakarot and you know it. I have no control over what I see." Bardock sighed, adjusting his armour so that he didn't have to see Kakarot's face.

"I know. I just can't help but ask." Kakarot sighed flopping down on the grass.

Bardock glanced at his son, taking in the thoughtful expression. "What I can tell you is that your fates are very deeply connected. You'll always be a part of the other's life."

Kakarot smiled at that and Bardock wondered why. Why would anyone want to have their life so irrevocable connected to some spoilt arrogant brat? What did Kakarot see in the Prince?

"I wonder why he's in such a bad mood though. He hasn't been this grump since I met him." Kakarot sighed, the smile disappearing.

"That's his business. If he wants to tell you then he will." Bardock replied reasonably.

"Yeah. I know. Come one, let's go bug Radditz." Kakarot was on his feet in a flash. He giggled in anticipation as he shot off to rind his older brother. Bardock just sighed and followed his distractible son.

If the fate of the universe ever had to rest solely on Kakarot's shoulders, well they'd be in for some trouble that was for sure.

Kakarot started to worry when the Prince didn't show up even for food. That wasn't like him, that wasn't even Sayian like.

He supposed that the Prince could find his own food but he couldn't help but be concerned. Kakarot decided that if the Prince wasn't back by the next day then he was going to look for him.

Instead of worrying about the Prince Kakarot turned his gaze to the flames, watching them dance and flicker. He could feel the heat of the fire, and his Sayian side loved every bit of it.

He turned away from the fire so that he could see the other Sayians and saw that they were acting less like they would've on Planet Vegeta with every passing day. In fact they were acting more like the banished Sayians had, carefree and wild. Sayians just weren't meant to be confined into servitude.

A few Sayians were scuffling in the dusk while others laughed at them. Some had even adopted human customs they had learned in a place that Bulma had sneered was called a bar.

Sayians seemed to like a particular drink that was called alcohol and Bulma had scoffed typical when Kakarot had told her. Kakarot like how tipsy it made some of the once more respectable members of the Sayian hierarchy.

He giggled as one such Sayian swayed before promptly falling on his behind.

Other Sayians were arm wrestling. An age old practise to prove one's strength. Too back Kakarot knew how to cheat it. Just press the right pressure points on the hand and they were like putty in your fingers. The Prince had taught him that.

Kakarot's gaze moved to the female Sayians as they crowded together, avoiding the Sayians that chose to drank. Not all six of them were there. Only four were actually seated together. One was cuddling with a Sayian partner and the other missing one was stalking a prospective partner.

Kakarot had gazed too long and his stare was noticed. But instead of the offended glare he usually got, he got blushes and giggles. Huh? What was that all about?

When they began nudging each other and whispering Kakarot thought they were playing an awfully weird game. Since his stare had been noticed he turned it back to the fire. He loved how even though it was all one big mass there were still individual flames that poked through. A brief moment of singularity that was quickly swallowed by the whole again. Fire was never constant, forever changing and reshaping. He hoped to be like the fire, dangerous when ill-used but helpful when needed. His abilities as well. He hoped to be as adaptable as the fire, forever changing so that he was always strong enough to reach where he needed to be. He always wanted to be able to protect those he loved.

If he was fire, then was the Prince his air, the oxygen that kept him going? Or was he the water that threatened to put him out? Was he the earth that Kakarot destroyed, using only for the gain of his own life? Or was he the flames as well?

Kakarot liked to think that the Prince was strengthening him as well as getting stronger himself. He'd hate to think that this was all very one sided. Who had gained the most since they had started training together?

Why did it matter?

They were both getting stronger and that's what counted. Not who was gaining the most.

"You're Kakarot, right?" A timid voice asked from in front of him but out of his line of vision, breaking the young Sayian from his thoughts.

Kakarot blinked and looked up. Timid was not a word he'd use to describe a Sayian, even less so to a Sayian female. He was instantly alert, not really suspicious but alert.

One of the females from earlier was staring down at him since she was standing and he was seated. He grinned at her and nodded, "Jip, that's what they call me."

"Would you mind if I sit next to you?"

Kakarot blinked in surprise. Not many Sayians spoke to him and even less did it because they actually wanted to. They still saw him as the freak of the planet. Why would one of the remaining females seek out his company of all the Sayians?

_Because you're strong . . ._ It was that tiny voice that he usually tended to ignore in most situations that answered him. It was a well-known fact that the number one trait on any female's list when looking for a prospective mate was strength.

But she couldn't possibly want that from Kakarot. Nah, he was just being silly. She probably just wanted to talk about the Earth since he was the most well versed in its customs.

He shuffled to the side to show his consent and she grinned back at him before gracefully sitting down where any male would've just dropped onto their rears and be done with it. Females made things so much more complicated.

She glanced at him but he was staring at the fire again.

"So, you know some of the human females?" she started, her tone suggesting that this was a good conversation starter.

"Yeah, I know three. One's got a temper to match a Sayian but she's ohkay when you get her on a good day. One's got yellow hair and she's always smiling and giving you food. I like her. And the other one has the prettiest blue hair with this blue eyes that sparkle. She's pretty and smart." Kakarot grinned at the female, completely missing the slight scowl at his description of Bulma.

"Humans have different coloured hair?" She asked instead, colouring her tone with interest.

"Sure. I've seen all sorts of colours. Some of them are actually really nice while others are just weird. Some of them don't even have real hair! And they can change their hair. It's not the same all the time." Kakarot was completely fascinated by this since Sayians had the same hair style since birth with the only exception being if you lost all your hair. It didn't grow back easily.

"Wow. That is something. Kind of like the soldiers that Frieza brings with him. Those creatures always had some interesting features." The female commented thoughtfully.

"I'd rather not talk about that." Kakarot replied wrinkling his nose at the thought of Frieza.

"Oh right. My bad. What would you rather talk about?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it before." Kakarot mused returning his gaze to the flames. "Oh, I know! Why don't you tell me about your plans?" Kakarot grinned.

"My plans?" She asked tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah, like how strong do you want to be, and which planet do you want to stay on, Sayians you want to mate with, or maybe not that one since it's kind of personal, how many kids you want to have and if you're going to train them . . . You know, that kind of stuff." Kakarot explained gesturing with his hands as he spoke.

"I see. Well I like how strong I am now but I wouldn't complain if I got stronger. For now, I like this planet. It's nice and the humans are too weak to try and rule over me so that's always a plus. As for a mate, well I still haven't decided on that. Who knows, I might just got for something unexpected." At this she smiled a slightly predatory grin at him from lowered lashes as her tail swished lazily behind her.

"Oh, does that mean you'll mate with a human. They look a lot like Sayians you know. Almost exactly the same." Kakarot grinned thinking of Yamcha who had the hair to be a Sayian but not the strength nor personality.

"Humans are . . . . . . different, that's for sure but not quite what I had in mind." Her hand was slowly making its way towards Kakarot's and the young Sayian was completely oblivious.

"Then what did you have in mind?" Kakarot asked. "Unless you don't want to answer."

She opened her mouth to answer but her words were lost as Kakarot stiffened, his attention going towards the presence watching them from the darkness. For some reason Kakarot felt inexplicably guilty which was silly because he wasn't doing anything wrong. He turned his gaze from the flames and the Sayian female, looking towards the presence in the darkness.

The worse part about it was that he knew that presence. He just didn't understand why he was hiding? Was he not in the mood to converse? If so, then why not?

_What was wrong? _

A question that had been plaguing Kakarot's thoughts since the Prince had gone off on his own.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jerked back to the Sayian female. Her look of worry wasn't worry but Kakarot liked to delude himself that it was. No, she was Sayian so it wouldn't be concern but rather something like frustration or perhaps even anger at being ignored.

"Sorry, I just . . . the Prince is back." Kakarot explained with a grin, his hand moving to the back of his head.

"The Prince?" her look was surprised but she didn't look around for the signature flame of black hair. Huh, that was new. Most of them did.

"How do you know, you know, where he is. We've noticed that. It doesn't matter if they're coming from behind or from in front but you and the Prince can always tell if someone's coming near you or where the other is. How do you do it?" Her gaze was fully attentive now, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration.

"Uhm, I'm not sure?" Kakarot replied slowly. It was a secret of theirs that he didn't want everyone to know. It was his and the Prince's. "We just do. Perhaps it's from long term exposure."

Her lip curled up slightly in dissatisfaction but she didn't press. It was no secret among the Sayians that this particular warrior was not the brightest Ki blast in the universe. So patience was needed.

Kakarot had failed to notice that her hand was still on his shoulder. He didn't even notice it when she lowered it, caressing over his arm and ending with tangling her fingers in his.

Kakarot was glancing back to the shadows now, feeling a tension from the Prince increase. He wanted to go to the Prince and stood to do just that but a slight tug made him look down at his hand. Somehow the Sayian female had managed to twine their fingers together, confusing Kakarot. Why would she do that?

But that didn't matter. He wanted to go to Prince Vegeta so he gently let go of her hand and moved to where the Prince was hiding.

"Oh, please, don't stop on my account." An all too familiar voice sneered at him, getting closer as the Prince moved out of the darkness.

"Prince Vegeta?" Kakarot cocked his head to the side, not understanding the anger rolling off of the Prince, nor the words that he was saying.

"All I can say for you, _dear_, is good luck. He's as oblivious to sexual advances as he is to having brains." Prince Vegeta continued, talking to the female Sayian and not Kakarot.

"Hay!" Kakarot snapped. He may not like being mean but he did know when someone else was being cruel. What the hell was his problem? "You don't get to just disappear for hours, not saying a word to anyone and then just show up again and start criticizing me!" Kakarot continued hotly.

"I don't get to? Are you implying that you can tell me, the Prince of all Sayians, what I can and cannot do?" Prince Vegeta's voice had grown deathly low, a dangerous and chilly tone. His eyes were rigid, displaying nothing.

This was the Prince as he was when they'd been on Planet Vegeta and around the other Sayians. Kakarot knew it to be nothing but an act to protect himself but why did he feel that he needed to protect himself now? Did he even know that he was doing it?

"Stop treating me like I'm nothing!" Kakarot yelled getting angry himself despite knowing that the Prince was probably in need of his comfort and not his arguments.

"But Kakarot, that is what you are. I no longer have any need of you. I've grown strong enough to continue . . . without you." Prince Vegeta stated quietly, but in a tone that meant he believed every word that came out of his mouth. "Now, you're just getting in my way, and holding me back."

Kakarot blinked, his anger completely forgotten. He'd never seen this attitude from the Prince so he didn't know if it was real or if it was all a part of an act . . . . . but whatever it was, it was twisted and hurtful. Kakarot didn't like it one bit.

"I'm not nothing." He stuttered out stupidly, the only thing he could think of. His mind was numb, the Prince's words ringing and echoing over and over, bouncing back and forth till they hardly made sense anymore and all other thoughts could not be heard any more.

In all their years together, the Prince had never said such things to him. Low class runt sure, Runt in general but never nothing. He had always been _something_ to the Prince even if it was a humiliating annoyance. Kakarot wasn't sure which he preferred.

The Prince chuckled darkly. "I disagree. You're nothing to me Kakarot. I no longer care what happens to you. I no longer care where you go or whom you go with. My desires and thoughts far exceed your own so I hardly think it's fair to trouble myself with such less than trivial things."

Less than trivial . . .

Kakarot began to back away, his mind trying to keep his heart from catching up. He wanted to say something back, to reply, mostly to say that the Prince was lying. Something told Kakarot that he was lying but it was such a very small part of him. So small in fact that it was easily overpowered by the echoing words.

Without even realising it, he'd started to shake his head. His throat was starting to feel swollen, making breathing both difficult and sore. He wasn't sure what to do. Half of him wanted to run so very far away but the other half of him just wanted to lash out, destroy.

Hands clenched into fists just as lungs began to gasp for air. The Prince was still speaking, saying such hurtful, such untrue words. But true or not, they were coming from Vegeta's mouth, powered by his thoughts. He knew what he was doing so it was just as good as being true, right?

Kakarot snapped. Instead of lunging at the Prince and beating him into the ground, instead of letting angry unchecked words fly from his mouth he clamped his mouth shut and took off into the sky at a speed that was far more dangerous than it was smart.

He was so distraught that he didn't even realise that he didn't get an explanation.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta felt the last sheltered part of himself that wasn't lonely, cold and heartless shatter with every word he spoke, every carefully planned and practised lie that left his lips.<p>

Those large innocent eyes slowly filled with pain, pain that_ he_ had caused.

He wanted to stop, he wanted to take it all back, to explain himself but then he reminded himself that he was doing this for Kakarot's own good. He was better off this way.

Not just because then he'd have a family, but if he was too angry to fight with the Prince when they went to fight Frieza then he would not have to fight at all. He would not get hurt.

He was feeling hollow now, as he told Kakarot that he no longer cared for him nor what happened to him. So empty.

A part of him was screaming in his head, begging for Kakarot to call him out on his lie, to demand the truth because that part of him knew he'd be too selfish to let Kakarot go, he'd give in and tell him everything.

. . . but Kakarot soaked in every word like a sponge, believed every word and that hurt more than seeing his pain. Seeing his betrayal meant that he believed those hollow, groundless words.

He watched Kakarot take off into the sky . . . not in the direction of capsule corp.

Prince Vegeta held back for a mere moment, simply watching Kakarot's retreating figure, his Ki an angry confused shard of pain.

"He knows you're lying but he still needs to tell himself that." A gruff voice stated behind him.

Turing slightly Prince Vegeta was surprised to see Radditz. "What do you know? You've avoided him his whole life." Prince Vegeta sneered back, wanted to take his anger out on something, anything. Fair or not.

"I know my brother, as much as I wish I didn't . . . and I know that he knows you're lying. So whatever it is you think you're doing I hope it's worth it." Radditz replied completely unaffected by the Prince's emotions.

Did weirdness run in their family? Perhaps it did. Either way it was something all three of them possessed, this uncanny ability to see far more than they should, to achieve a level far higher than what should be possible. To simply be _more _than Sayian.

Why couldn't the Prince get it right?


	29. Chapter 29 Solutions to self pity

**You know I always wondered why people didn't update for months on end. I now understand. Sorry for the wait guys. I really did have a ton of homework. Man I thought they were kidding when they said senior year was hectic. Ohkay maybe not kidding but somewhat over exaggerating. **

**Chapter 29**

The Prince of all Sayians had the ability to make himself lighter than air, light enough to fly . . . but right now, at that very moment, he felt far too burdened to do much more than wallow in his own pain in a far off cave, away from any one and anything that could say a single word to him.

He didn't want to talk and he certainly didn't want to think. Thinking was painful and he didn't want to inflict pain upon himself but one couldn't shut down their mind, it was impossible for a beginner. He had never been one for meditating. How he wished that were different now.

Thoughts weighed down on his mind, no matter how much he didn't want them. They came anyway, marching through his mind like little razor soldiers. Each little marcher cutting deeper than he ever thought possible. He hadn't felt this way about Tarble, his own brother. So why did Kakarot matter so much? Why did he make so much of a difference?

Getting right down to the heart of the matter, was he able to stay away?

He was a selfish creature by nature, that was just who he was. Could he stay away from Kakarot?

Hardly at this rate. It was too painful even to think about the other Sayian being enraged with him.

What was he supposed to do? He wanted Kakarot to be happy, to have a family, something that being with the Prince just wouldn't give him.

A small voice whispered that taking the decision away from Kakarot and simply deciding for him wasn't fair, but the Prince shoved that whisper aside, drowning it out with thoughts of his own self misery. He really wasn't a great person to be around when he was feeling sorry for himself. In fact he was pretty sure that if any one approached him right now, he'd probably punch them. In fact he was almost sure he just might kill them.

He was far too used to simply eliminating a problem rather than dealing with it. This entire situation was very new to him. It was a situation like this where Kakarot would tell him what to do, show him how to respond. Now Kakarot was the problem, or rather the Prince himself was. He wasn't good enough and that was a mind-set he'd never found himself having. He simply wasn't _enough_.

He hated feeling that way. It was a terrible feeling and he wished with all his heart that Kakarot was female. That would certainly solve a lot of his and Kakarot's problems. For one thing, females were expected to be weird.

For another, they'd be able to give each other the one thing they both wanted, a family.

With a growl the Prince punched the wall, feeling the rock give way and crumble to the floor.

He couldn't live with this pain. He was far too selfish. Kakarot was everything to him, had become so the moment he'd showed the Prince how to sense Ki and he'd felt that vibrant innocence.

Kakarot grounded him, kept him calm and sane. He was the reason that the Prince had gotten so much power. He was the reason the Prince was still fighting when everything within him had screamed to give up after his father had taken away his younger brother. He gave the Prince the strength to keep going when he'd been brutally beaten by Frieza and he taught the Prince the right way to hate. You didn't hate those around you, you hated those that hurt those around you.

He was a Prince and Kakarot was a low class runt who'd proven to the Sayians that anything was possible. Don't count anything out, not yet because it could get better.

He wanted Kakarot to be happy. He needed Kakarot to be happy. It meant everything to him.

But then those large betrayed eyes flashed through his mind and the Prince had to scream out his pain because he could not handle it in silence. Kakarot was supposed to be here to help him. Kakarot had promised to stay by his side but the Prince had sent him away like some dog.

"_He knows you're lying . . . I hope it's worth it."_

Radditz knew far more than anyone ever gave the third class warrior credit for. If Kakarot knew he was lying why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't he called him out on the lie?

The Prince gripped his hair in frustration. Damn it! Kakarot's nature wouldn't allow him to. He'd simply let the matter be. He wouldn't try to find out what went wrong. No. He'd believe that this was what the Prince wanted even if his words were a lie.

Kakarot really did deserve better. But no one had ever accused the Prince of being selfless.

He couldn't take this pain anymore. It had been three days and it had been three days too long. It was supposed to get better wasn't it? It was supposed to get numb. But it wasn't. It was only getting worse. All the pain and the suffering, all the anger. It was threatening to engulf him and pull him into the deepest abyss of his own mind.

He needed relief. He needed Kakarot.

Making up his mind and nodding to himself even as he walked out into the open, the Prince gathered his Ki and shot into the sky. There was one option left to him, well one option that was satisfactory to all parties involved. The other option was just being a selfish bastard and making Kakarot stay with him no matter what he wanted. He just respected Kakarot too much to do that too him.

The option he had chosen was one that was more a question of forgetting about his pride long enough to actually go through with it. This wasn't his thing so it was a little, ohkay a lot, disconcerting for him but the pain was something he just didn't want to live with. He was too selfish by nature.

* * *

><p>Kakarot punched the tree only for the wood to give way completely and explode into a shower of shards around him.<p>

Every tree only lasted one hit and with every hit his anger only grew. Was this what it was like to be a Sayian? Was this what most Sayians felt all the time? This rage, it was uncontrollable. It burned within him like the bonfires at night, raging higher and hotter till there was nothing let within him to consume. He had wanted to be like the flame but not like this. This was not what he'd wanted.

This wasn't a single moment of singularity before being sucked back into the whole and adapting to the environment around him. No this was an inferno that threatened to destroy all within his grasp. Even Bardock was keeping his distance.

The Prince had lied. Why?

Another tree showered around him.

Why was he still lying?

Another tree. Kakarot figured he'd better go find something far more durable if he wanted to keep hitting something that wasn't too living.

The only thing on this planet that wouldn't explode at his anger was the Prince but he was Kakarot's anger right now.

Yet, even in this state of pure seething rage, he recognised the price he'd asked of the Prince every time he'd whispered in the other's ear to calm down. It had been a heavy price. One simply did not calm down from a Sayian's rage. How did the Prince do it every time Kakarot had asked? How had he done so if all Kakarot had been was nothing.

It didn't make any sense!

Calm. He needed to find an inner calm.

_Search for it Kakarot! You can't keep doing this. Clearly he doesn't want you around so you have to move on. _

With a tired slump Kakarot managed to find it within his realm of possibilities to sit down and lean around the rock rather than destroy it. With his rage had come the realisation that he was in fact far stronger than the Prince. A lot stronger. Why was that? A part of him felt horrified at the very idea and he couldn't figure out why.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?!

WHY!

No. Stop it. He was trying to calm down. He had to find a way to calm down. Like the Prince did.

Taking a deep breath Kakarot shut off his initial awareness and let his mind wonder. He wasn't unaware. No, he'd just forced his mind to be aware of everything all at once, from every insect to every living creature as far as his senses could stretch. He taking in that was around him because it was easier to handle than that blind rage he'd worked himself into.

He could still feel it burning at the edges of his awareness, threatening to drag him under if he let it. But he would focus on the creatures around him instead, learning about the earth the same way he learnt about his home.

* * *

><p>"Still not going to get over that insufferable pride and tell me what the hell is going on?" Bulma asked as she came into the room.<p>

Prince Vegeta had made it to capsule corp but that's as far as he'd managed. His mind had blanked every time he'd tried to stutter out what he wanted. Eventually the humans had left him alone and he now found himself seated in the guest room that he and Kakarot had shared, which in itself was a painful experience. He could still smell the lingering scent of their relationship, the way the individual scents had mixed together so that it was uniquely _them_. It wasn't helping matters that was for sure but he couldn't bring himself to leave the room.

To make matters worse the earthlings kept starting at him as though he'd done something wrong. Did they know? Had Kakarot come here after all? Perhaps it was all in his mind and he was seeing things. He hoped it was the latter because being crazy was something he could deal with. Paranoid, yes he could even deal with that. But further actual proof of Kakarot's pain, pain caused by _him_, well that he couldn't deal with.

But no he didn't think the other had been here. He couldn't sense Kakarot at all, much like he'd hidden from the other Sayian just days ago. Was this his punishment? This constant reminder of a deed he wished to take back even if it had all been for the other Sayian's benefit.

Damn his pride. But he simply could not just let it all go. He hated his father. His father had been the one that started all this but had his father been sincere? Or was it another ploy for an heir after realising just how close the Prince and Kakarot had become? He couldn't even be sure on that account.

"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped.

The Prince looked at her with a raised brow. Only his father ever said his name like that. However, he couldn't be mad at Bulma. There was just something about her that like Kakarot, calmed him down. He supposed if he wasn't already hopelessly dependant on the oddball Sayian then this woman would've been his next choice. Yamcha was easy to get rid of after all. And the best part about the fool was that the Prince wouldn't even have to kill him to get rid of him.

"Kakarot and I had a fight." The Prince huffed out when Bulma continued to glare at him expectantly.

"A fight?" The blue haired annoyance replied with a frown. "What on earth did you two fight about? You're usually so in sync."

"My father pointed out to me that Kakarot was the type of Sayian to want a family, and would not be able to gain one with me. As the Prince it is expected of me to produce an heir and I cannot do so with Kakarot. See, neither of us can give the other what the need." The Prince sighed, looking away from the large questioning blue eyes that were nothing like any Sayian would ever have. If the Prince wasn't careful, those eyes would make him want to spill everything, just like Kakarot. "Enough woman, I just want to be alone right now. Just for a little longer." The Prince said with a tiny frown. He didn't like what Bulma did to him. It contradicted with far too many things. For example, Kakarot.

He'd never mate with Bulma but he was starting to let her get close to him and he didn't _want_ to feel anything for the pathetic creatures of this planet. After all Frieza was coming here and that wouldn't end well for the planet. Many places and people would get destroyed.

Yet, as Bulma nodded in silent understanding, as she walked away, her blue eyes large with unshed tears over her two Sayian friends' predicament, the Prince felt himself beginning to care. They were going to have to save this pathetic race too. And for some reason, he didn't feel as angry about that as he thought he would.

* * *

><p>He sensed their Ki before they even arrived and disappeared from his spot of solitude long enough to tell Bulma to tell <em>them<em> that he wasn't here.

He supposed he should be training but he'd fallen into a stage where he just wasn't going any higher. Was this his limit? Was this all there was to the great Sayian power?

Somehow he didn't think so. There was more. There had to be. Otherwise this just wasn't enough and they deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth.

So, with that thought in mind the Prince sat in a shadowy corner, waiting for his father and one of his guards to leave. His hearing was sharp enough to hear the disdain with which they treated Bulma and his anger towards his father grew. Bulma was nothing but important to them. He had no right to treat her as such! But he kept his emotions under control, waiting for the moron to leave.

When his father did leave the Prince stood before walking to a room that Bulma had built just for Kakarot and himself some weeks ago. It was a training room that absorbed their blasts so as not to damage the environment as well as a gravity chamber.

That was where he went now, so that he could do something familiar, something he had total control over. He was going to train because it was something he'd always known and right now he really needed something familiar.

* * *

><p>"Stupid Sayian jerk." Bulma muttered to herself as she shut off the gravity simulation.<p>

The Prince immediately fell to his knees as the exhaustion took over. Removing the constant strain of gravity was both a welcome act and a cursed motion. And as such he wasn't entirely sure whether he was grateful or annoyed with Bulma when she opened the door.

"Are you always so stubborn? Stubborn enough to get yourself killed?" Bulma asked blandly as she walked into the room with a towel. She tossed the towel at the Prince who took it wearily, debating silently whether he should just let the sweat stay where it was.

"I must train woman. Why did you interrupt me?" he asked instead.

"Because you're exhausted. And as such I figured you were too exhausted to kill me right now, so I came to talk." Bulma replied with a grin. "Besides, I kind of like you. I don't like seeing you push so hard, even if you feel that you have to."

"You do not understand, earthling. In a few weeks, perhaps days, a threat larger than anything you could ever comprehend will be upon your world. Kakarot and I wish to stop this threat, only I don't think he's coming anymore. In fact I hope he isn't." The Prince flopped onto the ground and rolled onto his back, staring at the white tiles of the ceiling as he spoke so that he didn't have to see those eyes.

"Well then almighty Prince of Sayians. Tell me your woes and I'll see what I can do. I already know that you and Kakarot had a falling out about children." Bulma stated professionally, yet softly, comfortingly.

"It wasn't a falling out. I told him to go away so that he'd move on without me." The Prince whispered.

"Did you say it like that?" But the way she asked it made the Prince pretty sure that she knew it wasn't.

"No. I told him he was nothing to me. No longer of use." Even now, saying the words he'd already said, the Prince was amazed that he'd even managed to get them out at all. He'd been so cold and ruthless that night yet now, he could barely stop himself from choking on them.

"Vegeta." Bulma said softly, her tone suggesting great sadness rather than the infamous rage that he'd been expecting.

Suddenly her arms were around him and he didn't really know what to make of it. This was not something he was used to. He was a Prince! . . . and a feared one at that. It was also slightly awkward due to his position but Bulma still managed to hug him in a way that made his feel like she was holding him together. This was both confusing and reassuring.

Why would she feel the need to hold him together?

"Vegeta, oh you misguided yet well-meaning Sayian jerk." Bulma said with a slight laugh but it wasn't a happy chuckle. It felt more like those situations where one simply didn't know what else to do. Did she understand then?

Within that tone was a sadness, a despondency that could only come from understanding. She did understand and the Prince was speechless with this revelation. He'd never met another person aside from Kakarot that could strip him bare so completely with nothing more than a knowing glance and a soft look of understanding.

Did that mean she could help him? He'd come here to ask for her help after all but he hadn't been so sure she could when he'd arrived. He'd been working up the nerve to ask her when she'd taken the matter into her own hands and sort of demanded an explanation. For that, he was actually grateful to her because he didn't think he'd ever be ready on his own.

Bulma jumped to her feet just as soon as she'd thrown herself at the Prince. There was a watery smile on her features and she held out a hand to the Prince impatiently.

"Come on, we're going to find a way to fix your problem. I don't need you to say anything more because I get it. I'm not a genius for nothing you know."

The Prince ignored the hand purely because of his pride but he got to his feet all the same and slowly followed the blue haired human to wherever it was that she was going. He didn't even know what half the things were that they passed yet Bulma ignored most of them, only stopping for a mere second or two as though checking something before she was walking once again. The Prince was silent as he was led around, his thoughts sort of in a dull buzz of over stimulated numbness. This was usually around the time where Kakarot stepped in with bright smiles and a believable excuse to drag him away but Kakarot wasn't here. And that was his own selfish doing.

"Let's see here." Bulma chattered happily as she pushed the button to open a door. While she waited the two seconds it would take to open the Prince could see some sort of excitement coursing through her. Was it the challenge that got her so excited? Or was it the prospect of helping them out? Perhaps both.

Bulma walked into the room at a brisk pace before grabbing the back of a chair and pulling it over to a computer screen. The Prince was walking at a far slower pace, his eyes taking in everything around him with a little of something akin to awe. He never really was one for science. All he needed to know was how to make it work, not how to build it.

The room was huge, with all manner of complicated objects littering the place. The Prince didn't really want to touch anything just in case it morphed him into something unrecognisable or even zapped him to a whole other galaxy.

So it was a newer, more respectful and slightly intimidated attitude towards Bulma that he approached said human and stood very still and very near her as she typed ferociously on her computer. She muttered things under her breath, typing and talking at the same time while her eyes grew distant. She wasn't really in touch with the outside world right now, completely sucked into the world of numbers and probabilities.

Just as the Prince was starting to grow bored enough to actually relax his stiff posture, Bulma leapt up and yelled happily. "Yes! This might actually work."

Leaning towards the screen again, she squinted at a line before frowning slightly. "But it's going to need a surrogate embryo before fertilisation."

The Prince had no idea what she was talking about and was slowly losing his patience. He'd had some time to recover and while he was still pretty tired, he felt the first stirrings of his infamous temper beginning to rise.

"What the hell are you going on about woman?" he almost snapped but his energy wasn't quite there yet.

"Huh? Oh that tone sounds way better. Starting to sound like you, Prince. Anyways, if this is correct then I think I just found the solution to your problem." Bulma replied with a smile. At the Prince's blank look she continued "See I'll need a DNA sample from both you and Kakarot, preferably blood and then I'll need someone who'll be selfless enough to donate an egg, you know the female baby making egg."

"Yes I know what you are referring to." Prince Vegeta deadpanned, fighting back a blush.

"Ah good. Anyways, with these three things I think I can give you and Kakarot what you both want, a baby that will be both yours and his. Well a little of the baby will be a part of the female as well." Bulma beamed at him as she waited for him to reply.

The Prince stared at those bright excited eyes for a moment as his mind processed what she'd said. The gist of the matter was simple. The human could possibly provide him with a child, an heir. He didn't care for the details, only what he needed to do.

"What do I need to do?" he asked quietly.

"Firstly, talk to Kakarot. Secondly, I need a blood sample from both of you and you'll need to find someone to be the mommy to your baby." Bulma replied.

The Prince frowned to himself thoughtfully, his thoughts from so many months earlier coming back to him. The possible segregation in the Sayian race due to pure blooded Sayian offspring and impure Sayian offspring. It was unavoidable if they wished to continue the Sayian race with the remaining survivors. Unmated Sayians were sure to fight over the six females at some point and as a result cause further death and extinction to the already dangerously depleted once great warrior race.

As the Prince, if he chose a human to be his 'mommy' then the other Sayians were less likely to be opposed to the idea. After all he was strong enough to beat any protesters into submission.

"Bulma." Prince Vegeta began roughly, using the woman's name as this was a serious request.

She looked at him in surprised interest. The intelligence, the blue eyes and hair and the fiery spirit were something that he appreciated and something he wanted. As he's said, well thought earlier, Bulma would've have been a desirable mate had he note had Kakarot.

"I would like for you to be my chosen female, if that is alright with you." The Prince coughed slightly as he said the words, trying for once in his life as a ruthless Prince to be polite and considerate of someone else's feelings.

Bulma was shocked into silence for a few moments but just before the Prince grew too despondent and withdrew his request she smiled brightly at him. "Well I hadn't thought about becoming a mommy just yet but I have always wanted kids. So long as I get to see the little tyke and have a hand in their upbringing then sure, why not."

The Prince actually found himself smiling, even if it was a very small one. Such easy acceptance. He wasn't really complaining though. Sure why not indeed. He could think of a few reasons. Did Bulma realise that this was her akin to marrying the Sayian Prince and by default becoming a Princess? Probably not. Did she realise that this was akin to gaining that over bearing annoyance he called a father as a relative? Probably not. Did she realise that this was akin to having a Sayian child, something she knew nothing about and would as such be wholly unprepared for as a result? Probably not.

But she was a smart woman. She'd figure it out eventually, hopefully when it was far too late for her to back out.

Bulma on the other hand was wondering if the Prince had realised that this was akin to him gaining Yamcha as a relative among other things. Probably not. She grinned to herself as she imagined what he'd do when he figured that one out.

"Alright then. For now I'd like you to fill this syringe with a sample of your blood. The real test will come when I'm trying to equally combine the genetics of all three DNA samples. . ." And then she lost the Prince with all her garble.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, after getting everything with Bulma sorted, taking a nap and grabbing something to eat after dragging the woman away from her work so that she may go sleep after the seventh time Yamcha had come to check on them and subsequently glare at the Prince, said Prince was ready to go and find Kakarot.<p>

Well ready physically but not so much in any other aspect. His emotions were rocketing in all sorts of directions and his thoughts constantly jumped from optimistic to completely despairing.

Eventually, with a slight growl of frustration, he shot off into the air and headed to the Sayians. He knew Kakarot wasn't there but Kakarot's family was and that was a good a place to start as any.

Landing in the middle of what had essentially become a compound of sorts with houses provided by Bulma's company, the Prince immediately stretched out his senses in search of his targets.

"Prince Vegeta. It's been a while." One of the elite guards said with a slight frown. "Haven't seen your training partner either."

The Prince didn't reply in words but rather sent a withering glare in the Sayian's direction. The Sayian took the hint and scurried away. The Prince narrowed his eyes at that but he had better things to do.

Focusing on his senses once again the Prince was able to find Radditz in a surprisingly short time. It seemed that the other Sayian wasn't too far away. Bardock however wasn't anywhere in the near vicinity. Too bad. He'd have preferred the older Sayian.

Walking towards the house that Radditz had claimed as his own and Bardock's the Prince wondered if Radditz was going to be helpful to him. Steeling his resolve he knocked on the door and waited.

Radditz opened it almost immediately, confusion on his features as he wondered who in the Sayian compound was polite enough to actually knock. Instead he was met with an uncomfortable looking Prince that looked like hell.

"He's in the mountains." Radditz said gruffly, not at all in the mood for this before slamming the door shut in his Prince's face. The sooner those two sorted out their stupidity the happier he'd be. He was all for bashing their heads together himself but Bardock had made him promise not to do anything.

The Prince stared in shocked silence at the door now in his face before curbing the anger before it had a chance to really form and taking off into the air once again. That had been surprisingly easy.

He knew that he'd never find Kakarot if the other didn't want to be found so he'd just have to get smart and find the one person who'd be with Kakarot but not skilled enough to hide his presence. Bardock.

Sure enough the further out he stretched his senses the easier it became to find Bardock and by default the tiniest flicker of Kakarot that he'd have missed if it weren't for the other Sayian. He really would have to give that Sayian more credit. Bardock was a far better leader than his own father that was for sure.

* * *

><p>"Kakarot, you can't mope all day . . . again." Bardock huffed, trying in vain to get the other Sayian to come out and train. "Seriously, I have to talk to you."<p>

Still the other Sayian didn't react. He just sat in the same place as before, his eyes closed and his mind far away. Bardock had been trying to break his meditation for a while now. He was still reeling from the site of the trees around him. They were all completely destroyed, the younger Sayian having had a very Sayian-like tantrum. Now why hadn't he had one of those when Bardock had been trying to prove to his peers that the boy was in fact a Sayian and not some inbred Tuffle in disguise?

Kakarot hissed suddenly and opened his eyes. He glanced at the sky, not even acknowledging Bardock's presence. The older Sayian sighed before looking in the same direction as Kakarot was. In the distance a tiny speck was slowly growing larger. He squinted at it and realised that it was actually getting a lot larger meaning it was travelling at a high speed. Judging from the speed, the possibility of who would be able to find them and Kakarot's reaction, Bardock concluded that this was the Prince.

With another sigh he walked away from his son so as to give him some privacy before he spoke to him.

Kakarot glanced at him briefly, his gaze showing his appreciation before flickering back to the Prince. Said Prince was now visible enough to see his flickering hair in the wind and his speed was such that all Kakarot needed to do was look away for a moment and the Prince was in front of him, lowering to the ground at a much slower pace.

He stood in silence as he watched the Prince who was taking in their surroundings. His dark eyes roamed over the splintered wood and then darted to Kakarot's bruised knuckles before a stormy gaze met a carefully blank one.

"I know that what I say will never erase what I did, but I'm hoping that it will start to make it right." Prince Vegeta said quietly.

He paused, waiting to see if Kakarot would say anything at all to that but when the usually happy go lucky Sayian said nothing the Prince held back a wince and continued.

"My father approached me and informed me that you were the type of person who'd want a family. I agreed with him even if I never told him that. Still . . . he pointed out that it was impossible to give you that if I stayed with you."

He paused again, eyes not meeting Kakarot's so that he didn't have to see that blank stare. He knew from those odd years prior that Kakarot, should he so choose, could be very Sayian like. A little too much.

"I listened to my idiot father and decided to do what I thought was best for you without thinking to ask you want _you_ wanted. I assumed and in so doing I took the decision away from you and for that . . . . I apologise."

Another shaky pause, and another silent response. Not even a tail flicker.

"I understand if you're still angry with me, and I know that simple words will not solve this but I came here to tell you that Bulma has come up with a solution. She told me that she could provide us with a child that is both yours and mine. She said something about needing a female as well and I asked her. I wanted the Sayians to learn from my example, not to fight over the remaining females and expand towards the humans, weak as though they might be. But this world, it has something, something we Sayians lack. Perhaps by combining the two, something new and something better will take our place." The Prince smiled softly before continuing. "It's another decision that I took out of your hands and the solution isn't even a guaranteed one. It is only a chance but it's more than we had before."

This time as he paused he walked over to Kakarot and pulled out a vial from his pocket. It was a specialised container that Bulma had given him, something about preserving the blood.

"If you agree to this, Bulma has asked that you place your blood within this container. I know that I still have a long way to go before I'll gain your forgiveness but I'm willing to spend the rest of my life trying to gain it." Prince Vegeta whispered, lifting Kakarot's bruised hand and gently pressing the vial into it. His thumb caressed over the wounds that were physical proof of the pain he'd caused the younger Sayian before he dropped the hand and stepped back.

With a last look at the younger Sayian the Prince retreated, his gaze filled with a remorse he hoped Kakarot could see yet at the same time he hoped the other couldn't. It would only cause the other further pain that he did not deserve.

Bardock approached his youngest son who was staring down at the vial, his eyes distant and thoughtful.

"You'll forgive him. You already have. But like I said earlier when you were so pointedly ignoring me, we need to talk." Bardock started softly, sadly.

"Will it work? Have you seen something?" Kakarot asked, finally looking up at his father. His eyes were wide and filled with a sort of desperation that was born only from hopeless situations.

"I haven't seen that. But one can only try. What I have seen, is that Frieza will be here in a little over two months. In that time neither you nor the Prince will gain the needed amount of power to win . . . unless . . ." Bardock didn't want to finish this sentence but Kakarot prodded him to continue.

"Unless what?"

"In order for the Prince to gain the power needed to defeat Frieza, you must die."

**Man this chapter was a pain to write mostly because it was all about wallowing and such. It was a drag in the beginning because I'm not one for self pity. Sorry for the wait guys. I will try and get the next chapter out promptly. **


	30. Chapter 30 Failure

**The surrogate baby, Bulma science intervention thing was totally predictable right? Well I couldn't help it. I'm not a fan of the whole mpreg thing. It's not that I don't not like it, I just don't like like it. If that makes any sense. **

**Chapter 30**

Prince Vegeta had gone to see Kakarot and he'd been patient and calm throughout the entire meeting but that didn't mean he was calm and patient on the inside.

No, as soon as he'd been out of Kakarot's sight, he gone straight back to capsule corp and into the gravity room to train.

Any attempt to talk to him was an attempt in vain and left the attemptee feeling rather lucky to be alive once they left, unless that attemptee had blue eyes and long wavy blue hair or large innocent black eyes of course.

He trained himself into a state of exhaustion before Bulma finally shut down the gravity simulator, actually deciding that the young Sayian Prince had in fact handled it all rather well.

As the Prince slumped to the floor, too tired to stand, Bulma entered once again with a towel in hand.

"Do you think he'll come?" The Prince whispered quietly.

"Yes. He just needs time. He's not as unaffected by things as he likes to act." Bulma replied, lowering to the floor herself and lying down next to the Prince.

If Yamcha hadn't seen how much the Prince was connected to Kakarot he might have gotten jealous. But as it was, he merely kept out of the Prince's way and made sure Bulma didn't forget the necessities as she went about her work. She tended to climb into a project and forget that there was a world outside of it, a world where she needed to eat and sleep.

"Time is a luxury we scarcely have." The Prince murmured before promptly falling asleep.

Bulma sighed before getting Yamcha to carry the stubborn warrior to his room. She snickered when she thought about his reaction to that. The proud Prince being taken to his room by someone he very nearly detested.

But that's what he got for being a stubborn jerk.

* * *

><p>Kakarot looked at his father before nodding once and taking off into the sky. Everything was set and the plan was in place. He had it all covered.<p>

Now he just had to so see a certain stubborn Prince then he was ready.

"_In order for the Prince to gain the power needed to defeat Frieza, you must die."_

A phrase that refused to stop repeating itself over and over within his mind. Yet, what his father had said made sense. It really did.

"_I listened to my idiot father and decided to do what I thought was best for you without thinking to ask you want you wanted. I assumed and in so doing I took the decision away from you and for that . . . . I apologise." _

This time it was the Prince's words that flashed through his mind. He appeared to be doing the exact same thing here. He wasn't going to tell the Prince about his father's vision. If he did then it wouldn't come true and they would never defeat Frieza. Instead he was going to lie and take the decision out of the Prince's hands, just as he'd done to Kakarot.

"I apologise too, my Prince. Please forgive me." Kakarot whispered to the wind before he landed in front of capsule corp and gently knocked on the door.

He knew the Prince would be here because the Prince didn't like being with his father so inevitably he'd seek out the only other place he knew in this world and that was Bulma.

The door was opened by Bulma's cheerful mother and Kakarot greeted her with his usual enthusiasm. If she noticed it was slightly off, she didn't say anything. The blond was surprisingly observant yet she never voice as much. He wondered about it but he wasn't about to comment on it either.

"Kakarot!" Bulma squealed, rushing over to him and giving him the biggest hug he'd ever received.

"Hahaha, hey Bulma. Sorry I haven't been over lately. I've been uh, well I guess you know." Kakarot replied with a soft grin.

"Hey Kakarot."

Said Sayian looked around Bulma's tight hug to see Krillen grinning at him. "I was wondering when you'd show up since your significant other has been brooding around here for a few days now."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'll get him out of your hair kay." Kakarot grinned back.

"Come on, I'll take you to him. He really has been brooding you know, worse than usual." Bulma informed him, taking his hand and dragging him further into the corporation building.

Kakarot had no doubt that the Prince had been brooding but had they still been on Planet Vegeta it would've have been way worse that what it currently was. He knew that the Prince was pretty mild right now in comparison to what he could be.

Bulma took him to the gravity room she'd built for them to train in and Kakarot found that he really couldn't be surprised by this. "I'll leave you two alone." Bulma smiled gently at him, giving his shoulder a comforting squeezed before disengaging the gravity before walking away.

Kakarot kept his head low as he entered the room, hearing the Prince's steady panting as he tried to regain his breaths. The other had to have known that Kakarot was coming. He had to have sensed the younger Sayian's Ki long before he got there, right.

Kakarot kept his features neutral as he walked into the room. His tail was coiled tightly around his waist and his hands were relaxed at his sides. He wanted to give nothing away before he was supposed to.

"Kakarot?" The Prince had to ask. The silence was getting to him and it was taking all the will power he had not to stride over to the other and demand an answer.

Kakarot said nothing as he walked closer, stopping just in front of the Prince. Only then did he look up and into the Prince's anguished gaze. He hid it well but the pain was there. It almost made Kakarot decide not to do the next thing on his list.

However, the Prince deserved at least one of them in his life.

Kakarot crouched down before swiftly burying his fist in the Prince's stomach. The Prince cough as the air left his lungs but he didn't make a sound to show his pain or his surprise. He really hadn't been expecting Kakarot to do that but he didn't blame Kakarot either.

Still, the unexpected but fully justified action did not give the Prince Kakarot's answer.

"That, my Prince, is for your stupidity." Kakarot whispered before backing away slightly. He pulled out the specialised container the Prince had given him earlier and one of his father's knives. He cut a clean line across his hand, holding the wound over the container and filling it with his blood. The Prince watched silently, not daring to say a word until Kakarot said more. This, despite how it looked, still did not give him an answer.

Carefully closing the container he handed it to the Prince before slowly licking the red line on his hand, his saliva helping the blood to clot but not heal the wound.

The Prince had taken the container with shaky hands and that amused Kakarot more than anything else. But he didn't allow that amusement to show on his face. Not yet. Instead he approached the Prince once more, raising a hand to his armour and yanking the slightly taller Sayian down to his level where he roughly joined their lips.

"That, my Prince, is for your stupidity."

The Prince smirked before finally allowing himself to return Kakarot's touches. He yanked the younger Sayian closer, joining their lips once again.

Kakarot began to pull away reluctantly, his eyes closed as he rested his forehead against the Prince's. "My father has foreseen our victory." He breathed.

The Prince was silent. This was not something that was happy news. He could sense that.

"But . . . in his vision, I leave to go to another planet, learn a new technique. His vision predicts that I will return in time for Frieza's battle." Kakarot elaborated. "So, don't waste that blood I gave you."

"How long?" Prince Vegeta asked instead of commenting on the words.

"Frieza will be here in a month." Kakarot replied sadly.

"Stay the night with me." The Prince asked and Kakarot wondered why he'd even thought he'd had to.

* * *

><p>"You can't just leave." The King spluttered.<p>

"I have to and if you try to stop me, King or not, I will be forced to neutralise you." Kakarot replied firmly while he readied the fastest space pod they had. He had to learn a new technique in a week. It wasn't impossible just really hard.

"King Vegeta. It is imperative that he learns this technique. Without it, we will fail." Bardock stepped in to stop the King from really losing his temper, not that he could do much against Kakarot which actually pissed the King off even more.

"If you're worried about the Prince's training, he'll be fine." Kakarot smiled hesitantly at the older Sayian. The smile wasn't there for long though. He quickly dropped it. The King wasn't really his favourite person after all.

The King looked away after that and Kakarot ignored him in favour of checking over the pod. He would be coming back in a month.

The Prince himself stood to one side, watching silently. He hadn't told his father about Bulma's plans nor that the child would be part human. He would wait until the Sayian could do nothing about it.

Kakarot straighten and stepped away from the pod before walking over to the Prince.

"It'll be ohkay. Everything will work out. We can do this." Kakarot told him with a smile. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, kay. And listen to Bulma, despite being a human she does know something worth listening to."

The Prince allowed a small smile at that.

And then Kakarot was climbing into his pod. No goodbyes, no last words of well wishing. . . because that would be like admitting a weakness, a fear that they'd never get to see each other again, that Kakarot would come too late or that they'd both fail. So they didn't do it. They simply watched until the other was no longer visible.

And even then, they continued to watch.

* * *

><p>"The humans will not be interfering in this fight!" Bardock snapped. He'd finally reached the limits of his patience. Those insistent 'Z <em>warriors<em>' wanted to help the Sayians with Frieza and his men. No matter what they said to the humans, they refused to believe they they'd only be getting in the way. Truthfully the only way they could help was being bait or sacrificial pawns but the Prince had rather colourfully told all the Sayians his opinions on such suggestions.

"You know, there is one being on this planet that might be of use to us." Prince Vegeta commented suddenly. "A Namek."

"A Namek? They're known for their peaceful natures." The King asked in confusion.  
>"Not this one. He's the son of one of the ex-Leaders of this mudball." Prince Vegeta clarified. "I'll find him and see if he has any worth."<p>

Not waiting for anyone to say anything more on the matter the Prince simply left, taking off into the sky and away from capsule corp. They knew better than to comment anyway. He was in a right testy mood since Kakarot had left to learn some new technique at Bardock's insistence.

So to save himself and the poor soul that pushed it too far, the Prince simply decided that having an excuse not to be around was an awfully good idea. They had been spending time with the humans, hoping for any sort of advantage that they could get against the lizard freak. Since Frieza wasn't expecting this world to have fighters on it, perhaps anything from this world would give them some sort of edge.

Finding the Namek wasn't hard since the Namek wasn't really trying to hide. He appeared to be mediating and the Prince approached him in the most polite way a warrior could, by being loud.

"Your friend seems to have left the planet." Piccolo stated immediately.

"Yes. But that's not why I'm here. I came to see if you wanted to have that fight from the tournament. You won't win but perhaps you have something that can help. This pathetic mudball planet is about to be attacked by a Galactic Overlord named Frieza. There will be a time where you'll probably have to fight. I can to see if you'd survive."

"Any outside threats that come to this planet were most likely caused by you. Why should I help you?" Piccolo deduced correctly.

"Make no mistake about it, this planet would've been visited eventually. Frieza has a 'dominion over all living and not so living things' complex." Prince Vegeta replied looking upwards and to the sky. "My race is a proud one, we do not serve well under slavery and yet we have been forced into if for nearly my entire life. On a snap decision, because my people were doing their jobs too well, Frieza ordered our elimination. We are only trying to defend our freedom and our lives."

The Prince could already tell that this Namek was the stronger native being on this planet. He was at perhaps 50 000 and that, for a Namek was impressive. He wasn't any match for the Prince or the Ginyu but he'd be able to hold his own against a good few of Frieza's dogs.

"So are you asking for my help, or giving me a fair warning?" Piccolo asked.

"Perhaps both. My _friend_ taught me how to share." Prince Vegeta smirked.

"Very well then. I will not help you but I will defend this planet against any and all outside threats . . . . . Let us have that fight."

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta returned to capsule corp very late into the evening, most of the buidling's occupants asleep already.<p>

Once person however was very much awake and the Prince found himself gravitating towards her. She was in the room that was where all her projects were and boy did that woman have a wild imagination. If half the things she wanted to create ever got off the ground then she would single-handedly bring this race of pacifists into a whole new era.

"Should you not be in bed woman?" The Prince asked gruffly yet quietly upon entering since he noticed the fool Yamcha asleep on the couch in the corner of the room.

"Perhaps, but I'm having fun." Bulma replied with a smile. She leaned to the side to show him her progress.

It was a useless motion. The Prince didn't know what he was looking at. She chuckled softly. "This shows the computers attempts at mixing our DNAs together." She explained. "It's 89% complete. Just a little longer and then the actual baby will start to grow. It'll take the usual nine months. You can't rush this kind of stuff you know."

The Prince was silent as he stared at the numbers on the screen. Soon he would be a father. That was something he hadn't actually considered before. The possibility had been presented to him but his mind had only processed as far as possibility. Success only came now and he suddenly found himself in need of a chair.

"I'm going to order the Sayians off the planet soon. I don't want the Earth to take place in our fights. There's a very good chance that whatever planet we battle upon will not survive. I think I should order them off tomorrow." The Prince murmured quietly.

Bulma's smile disappeared before she gave the Prince a soft knowing look. "You care more than you'll let yourself admit. It's not healthy you know, but thank you for caring at all. Judging from the others of your kind, this is considered rare."

"Not rare, just frowned upon." The Prince corrected distantly. His thoughts were still on the percentage Bulma had given to him. As he watched the 89 flicked over to a 90 and strangely his heart fluttered with the motion.

Kakarot should've been here too.

* * *

><p>The Sayians were standing in disciplined lines, waiting to board the large ship they had arrived in. The Prince had pointed out that they were going to need a bigger playground so to speak. Not everyone would be able to fight while in the city. Too many innocents got in the way and frankly the Prince didn't trust the other Sayians to go out of their way to avoid a human. He rather saw them simply blasting them to make sure they stayed out of the way, permanently.<p>

"It is my wish that the child will have at least some of your odd colouring woman. Your blue is a maddeningly calming blue." Prince Vegeta muttered quietly to the earthling woman, his words meant for her alone. She smiled at him and shook her head. He had been saying odd things like that since last night, when she'd told him how close she was to creating the actual child.

He had yet to tell the other Sayians of the child and she wondered what would happen when he did.

Just like Kakarot, the Sayians were leaving the planet in the Prince's last effort to keep the innocent race safe. He didn't care much for the majority of them, just a small group of hopeless fighters that had somehow gotten on both his good side and his bad side.

Getting aboard the ship, the Prince couldn't help but wonder if he should've told Bulma his naming preferences before he left.

* * *

><p>Screams of war were coming from all directions, the acrid smoke of burning flesh stinging his eyes. He ignored it and pushed on, trying to kill as many as he could. Frieza had bought so many and he was wasting Ki on these weaklings. He wanted the lizard!<p>

But where was Kakarot?

The younger Sayian hadn't come. He had to have known the Prince was on another planet right?

On one had he felt betrayed that he was here, fighting for his freedom and his life, alone. Yet at the same time and on the other hand he was grateful that Kakarot was not here to see this.

The other Sayians were not faring well. Apart from the King and Bardock, if something didn't happen soon, none of the other Sayians were going to make it through this.

"My, my little monkey Prince, how you've grown."

The Ki he'd been unconsciously fighting towards was directly in front of him. His whole live had been about killing this Lizard and this was his chance. He could not fail, he would not fail!

Frieza laughed at him as he sprang at the other. There were no Ginyu, there were no Didoria and Zarbon. They were long gone, having been the first to have been disposed of.

Frieza was currently hiding his anger behind a façade of bravado because never in his wildest dreams had he imagined the young Prince to have this much power, this much anger!

The blocked punches actually stung and the ferocious kicks very nearly caused the lizard to move. He'd taken on the final transformation after seeing the easy disposal of his underlings. Still, the Prince was border lining on actually be effective.

However, he would not be able to keep up this pace forever. Sooner or later he'd tire and then Frieza had him. He'd hold the Prince high above what was left of his people and he'd break him. He'd crush that arrogant pride he held so dear . . . and then, finally he'd kill them all. Every last one of these pathetic Sayians.

The thoughts that ran through Frieza's mind were chilling and none too pleasant as he finally tired of the Prince's attempts and casually flicked out his tail, wrapping it around the Sayian's neck. He gleefully slammed the young Prince against the ground over and over again, until there was nothing but a limp and dazed form in his grasp.

_No . . . he could not fail. He had to keep going. This was his only chance. This was what he'd been working towards his entire life. Failure was never an option!_

A glazed over gaze watched the sky, seeing the pod enter the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, Frieza noticed it too and turned towards the pod that the Prince recognised as Kakarot's.

"Oh, there's another one? Well, no matter. I'll just take care of it now." Frieza chuckled, raising a hand and send off a single beam of red Ki.

It hit the pod, and silence reigned for all of three seconds before the explosion rocked through the sky.

NO! Kakarot! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

There was still so much they had to do. They had to go back to earth, tell Bulma what they wanted to name the child, tell the King they were going to have the child. Celebrate their victory on this day because FAILURE WAS NEVER AN OPTION!

A rage he'd always tried his best to keep at bay, a rage that was never smart to let loose suddenly bubbled up within the Prince and a new energy rushed into his limps. A body that had before been trembling in pain suddenly began to tremble with power, restrained and raw hatred begging for blood.

He'd gladly grant that wish.

Letting go of every restraint he'd ever imposed on his psyche the Prince screamed out his pain, his rage. Pure blood lusting RAGE!

Frieza lost his grip in shock as the Prince's skin began to grow hotter and hotter, BURNING. His eyes grew maddened, something not uncommon among the unruly race but this, this was on a whole new level.

"You shouldn't have done that." The Prince said in a calm, detached voice that completely belied the turmoil within him.

"What? Step on another roach?" Frieza laughed, trying to rid himself of this sudden sense of foreboding.

The explosion of power sent everything around them flying backwards. This power! Where was it coming from? There was no way the Prince had been holding back this much!

Could it be? Could this be the Legendary Ascension they all whispered about and others feared?

Impossible!

Yet there the Prince stood, in a crater of his own making, his hair blazed a golden fury, his eyes a frozen waste land of hell that promised nothing but anguish for the being reflected within their flat expanses.

This was a being that promised him no mercy.

So yes, perhaps that particular roach was not one he should've stepped on.

"Now, Frieza you die. My only regret is that you'll die quickly but I don't think I'm giving you a chance to escape. Say hello to you dogs for me when you get to hell."

He raised a hand, the palm already glowing with Ki.

Frieza tried to dodge, he really did but he was no match for the fury of an enraged Sayian.

As the asked of their most hated being blew away in the wind, the remaining Sayians wondered if they should cheer in joy, or run in fear. The Prince did not appear to be sane enough to tell the difference between enemy and ally at the moment.

As it was he was methodically disintegrating all the remaining soldiers without a single thought of mercy flicker in his turquoise eyes.

"Enough my Prince." Kakarot whispered, suddenly just there, wrapping his arms around the frozen Sayian, not in the least bit worried about the burning heat or the golden aura of power.

"You did it. You defeated him." Kakarot continued his voice filled with awe and pride. "It's over now. We're safe. I took care of Cold up in the flagship. It's over. It's all finally over."

Slowly the Prince's eyes began to deepen, to show understanding. His body began to relax and just as suddenly as the golden blaze of power had enveloped him, it was gone.

"Kakarot?" he asked as he sagged forward into the other.

"It was the only way. You had to believe I was dead. It was the only way for you to unlock the power of the super Sayian. You were amazing my Prince."

"No. Don't call me that." Prince Vegeta murmured with a tired frown. "Not you. You are my Kakarot and I am your Vegeta. I want – I want to go home now."

"As you wish, Vegeta."

* * *

><p>Bulma sat on the pouch of her house, watching the skies yet again. She couldn't wait for her Sayians to come home.<p>

Yamcha came out of the house, holding a fluffy blanket in his arms. He spread it out before sitting down next to the blue haired woman and pulling it around both of their shoulders.

"Do you think they're ohkay?" Bulma breathed.

"Those two? Sure. They'll be back here and driving us all crazy before we know it." Yamcha replied with a bright smile.

"I wonder what the Prince will do when he realises that you'll be helping to raise his kids." Bulma mused with a chuckle, snuggling closer to the earthling warrior.

"I really don't want to know. In fact I'm planning on being the kind of uncle that you know you have but you never really see." Yamcha shuddered slightly. "I don't think he ever forgave me for shattering Kakarot's already broken arm."

"Eh, give it some time he'll come around." Bulma replied knowingly. "He'll have to."

"Yeah this coming from the one human he actually likes." Yamcha rolled his eyes playfully.

"They better hurry up and get home soon. I can't wait to tell them everything that's happened." Bulma smiled happily and Yamcha pulled her closer.

* * *

><p>The King didn't understand the Prince's sudden surge of energy as the space craft began to enter the Earth's atmosphere. He seemed eager to get out of the ship. Kakarot joined him a moment later, the two whispering about something amongst themselves in an excited hush.<p>

It had been revealed that Kakarot had gone to some planet to learn a technique of teleportation. Something he called instant transmission so that he could give the illusion of death and in so doing cause the Prince to awaken his dormant power.

They were returning to the earth with significantly less Sayians than what they had left but they were returning and they had won their freedom. They couldn't be happier.

A bonus. All the females had been ordered by the King to remain on the planet and now that the Prince didn't have the excuse of defeating Frieza he had to choose one of them to mate with. The King couldn't be happier.

As soon as the ship landed and the door opened both Kakarot and the Prince raced outside. Strangely Bardock had a knowing smirk on his face and he looked oddly content, at peace.

"Kakarot!" A familiar female voice squealed. "Vegeta! I'm so glad you're back! We're having TWINS!"

"Wait, what?!" The Prince's startled tone floated over to the King who was quickly growing confused at the conversation taking place.

* * *

><p>Nine months later the King wasn't so confused. He had reluctantly gone along with the Prince's odd solution to his problem. He wasn't pleased about it but he couldn't deny its efficiency.<p>

The Prince and Kakarot were currently staring down at the sleeping babies that had only recently been 'born' into the world.

One babe had a shock of obsidian locks much like Kakarot with a slight difference here and there and with a vibrant blue lock of hair falling into the tiny face. When the babe was awake it was to reveal a startling blue shade of eyes.

The other babe had the most interesting shade of lavender hair streaked in through the black several times. The eyes were as dark and wide as the Sayians and the style much like the Prince's had been in his younger days. Secretly Kakarot hoped it stayed that way and didn't develop that silly widow's peak.

"Woman." The Prince muttered as he gazed down at the sleeping duo. "Firstly, I believe it's a human custom to say, but damn we did a good job which I believe we did. Second we have decided upon the names of the children. The one with the blue was suggested by Kakarot to be Gohan Vegeta Briefs. And the other I suggested to be Trunks Tarble Briefs. Does this please you?"

"Oh Vegeta! You chose my name." Bulma gushed. "Of course I like it."

"Thank you for the honour, Kakarot." Gohan said with a humble smile and chuckle. "I'm pleased to know that you think so much of me."

"Well I was kind of torn between you and my own dad but he kind of hinted that he'd kill me if I named the kid after him. Something about one attachment head case of a brat being bad enough. I don't really get it but it made the Prince laugh." Kakarot replied.

"And it still does." Prince Vegeta chuckled.

"Now all that's left to do is find Tarble and tell him about your name choice." Kakarot grinned.

"Eh, I think he and Zorn went out to buy teddies." Yamcha supplied. It had taken a lot of one on one sparring sessions for the Prince to finally warm up to Yamcha. Something about being able to beat the crap out of the human several times had cheered him up.

"Well they better not bring anything that can be easily ripped. I used to behead all my toys and a toddler." The Prince muttered.

"Oh boy." Bulma muttered, suddenly realising that this would probably be her mantra for a while to come.

But they were happy. They'd made an odd little family of mismatched odd balls and they were happy.

**Thanks for reading! I know this is a rather plain ending with no real fight scenes or elaborate build ups but it's an ending all the same, simply an ending. Thanks for sticking through to this point and thanks to all those that reviewed. **

**Happy reading. XD**


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